Minister McConalogue announces €182m of ANC payments issuing to 85,000 farmers this week: The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, T.D., has today announced that payments under the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme have commenced with payments worth just under €182 million issuing this week to almost 85,000 farmers. The ANC is payable to farmers whom meet the required minimum stocking rate on their farms of 0.15 livestock units/hectare. Where sheep and/or eligible horses are on the farm, evidence must be submitted to the DAFM to support your claim. Contact us if you require assistance.

The DAFM are currently engaging with all industry stakeholders and the general public in relation to the reform of the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), commencing in 2023. The DAFM are currently designing and finalising Irelands CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) for the period 2023-2027 and are seeking contributions from the public up until the 3rd of September 2021.

Details on the extensive consultation process to date and future ambitions are available on the DAFM’s website by following this link https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/cf1c0-irelands-cap-strategic-plan-2023-2027-public-consultation-on-proposed-interventions/

Farmers participating in REAP had until midnight the 15th of August to submit their farm plans, scorecards and photographs. REAP is a DAFM pilot Results Based Programme and approximately 4,000 farmers were selected in early Summer for the pilot throughout Ireland.

Participating farm advisors, including our own, visited selected client farms the past number of weeks to discuss their farm plans, which included an assessment of their grassland areas for positive indicators. Positive indicators (e.g. self heal, orchids, mints, birds foot trefoil, vetches etc.) are a sign that grassland is semi natural, is not managed intensively (through slurry and fertiliser applications) and receives very small amounts of herbicides (mostly through spot spraying) and other improvements.

Farmers scorecards and plans are now being assessed by the DAFM and farmers must incorporate the management advice as set out by the advisor into their farming operations. Payments for REAP are expected later this year.

Our office reopens on Wednesday the 6th of January at 9.15am. In the meantime, customers can leave a message on our phone system or send us an email to info@carrollconsultancy.ie and we will contact you thereafter.

Our office will remain closed to the public until further notice but normal business and phone support will continue to be in place as on our earlier text. Remember: this is Farm Safety week. Take care and assess the danger in all your farm tasks.  

Please note our office hours from today until the 28^th of August will be as follows: 9am to 1pm Mon to Wed and normal hours on Thursdays and Fridays. Please leave your message on the phone outside of these times and we will return your call. Safe save and thank you.

Congratulations to St. Johns Primary School The Neale, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo for winning the AgriAware Artistic Animals competition.. sponsored by us!!

They won first prize which was a visit from mobile farmer Pat, there was huge excitement when he visited the school yesterday with his baby piglets, lambs, calves, ducks and chicks.

The standard in the competition was very high and we’d also like to congratulate Logboy NS, Co Mayo and Glinsk NS, Co Galway who came second and third. Well done to all the schools who entered.

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GLAS first opened up to farmers in 2015 and is a co-funded environmental based scheme that focuses on the rural environment and in particular on the preservation of various habitats and species, mitigating climate change and improving water quality.

GLAS has now three various tranches: GLAS 1, GLAS 2 and GLAS 3.

Regular checks should be carried out throughout the year to ensure all actions meet the required GLAS specifications i.e. ensure watercourses are fenced 1.5m out from top of water bank and is stock proof to bovines or ensure all bird boxes are up following winter period.

At this time in the year remember Low Input Permanent Pasture cannot be topped until after 1^st of July and the cutting and saving of Traditional Hay Meadows must also take place after the 1^st of July to avoid any breach in GLAS terms and conditions.

On average 5% of all GLAS participants are inspected annually. A number of our clients had annual GLAS inspections in the past number of weeks with on average 24 hours’ notice. The DAFM inspector will assess the completion of your GLAS actions on farm. You will then be required to submit GLAS and Nitrates Records, fertiliser and concentrate/meal receipts and all other associated receipts for GLAS actions within 10 working days.

Farmers should ensure that they have all the required work carried out as per their own GLAS plan. Contact your farm advisor if any assistance or help is needed.

If you require any further information or have any further queries please contact our team on: 094 9253742.

Carroll Consultancy in association with Homeland and Harrington Quarries are hosting a land drainage and soil maintenance event on the farm of Michael and Anne Higgins, Currinah, Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon (at the end of the Ballaghaderreen bypass towards Carracastle) on Wednesday the 15th of May at 2pm. Topics include methods of drainage/drainage systems and assessing soil type/correct fertiliser usage and there will be demonstrations on the day. All farmers are welcome and this is a Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine approved National KT Event for dairy, beef and sheep farmers. Guests speakers will be present in addition to a number of agri business trade stands