A total of 588 Laois farmers have benefitted from the early release of Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) payments.
They have now received €2,100,751.85 between them for their efforts across the three tranches of the GLAS scheme.
The scheme is green as it preserves our traditional hay meadows and low-input pastures; low-carbon as it retains the carbon stocks in soil through margins, habitat preservation and practices such as minimum tillage; and, agri-environment.
It does this as it promotes agricultural actions, which introduce or continue to apply agricultural production methods compatible with the protection of the environment, water quality, the landscape and its features, endangered species of flora and fauna and climate change mitigation.
Offaly Senator Pippa Hackett has welcomed the move to release the funding earlier than scheduled – two weeks to be exact.
The Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity said: “Farmers are making an effort to improve their farming practices and make them more sustainable.
“They deserve to be supported in their efforts and I’m glad to see the payments being made earlier than expected.”
In total, €138 million will arrive in almost 40,000 GLAS farmers’ bank accounts this week.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, said: “I am delighted to confirm that advance payments to just under 40,000 GLAS participants, worth over €138 million will issue this week.
“Farmers across the country, in what has been a particularly challenging year, will benefit from these payments.
“These advance payments at a rate of 85% of the full annual payment are an important support to farmers in the delivery of key environmental actions. They are also of importance to the wider rural economy.
“I have previously outlined that a key priority for my Department is the efficient issuing of scheme payments to farmers.
“I am very pleased that these payments are commencing two weeks ahead of our stated target of mid-November and are issuing to a higher number of participants than last year.
“Overall compared to this time last year we are paying €4 million more to 3% more scheme participants which is a fantastic outcome in light of Covid-19 restrictions.
“When combined, payments under the 2020 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme (ANC) which started in September and the advance BPS payments which commenced on the earliest possible date of 16 October 2020 together with GLAS Advance payments mean that payments of over €1.12 billion have now issued to Irish farmers since September.
“The good news for these GLAS participants is that they now have the certainty of participating in the scheme for next year if they wish thanks to us securing the funding allocation in the budget.
“I am pleased that we have achieved this and avoided the issues of the past where scheme participants did not have this certainty when transitioning from one RDP to another.”
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