Over 5,700 Mayo farmers selected for new agri-eco scheme

Minister of State Dara Calleary has confirmed that 5,773 Mayo farmers have been accepted on to the government’s new agri environmental scheme, ACRES.

This is the highest number in the country.

The Mayo-based TD outlined: “My colleague Minister Charlie McConalogue has confirmed that all Mayo applicants -5773- have been accepted on to the ACRES scheme and will begin to receive formal notification in the coming weeks.

"ACRES has two streams or approaches depending on the location of the applicant farm.

"The general approach has a maximum annual payment of €7,311 per annum.

"A total of 2,936 Mayo farmers have applied for this stream,

"The ACRES co-operation approach, which has a maximum annual payment of €10,500 per annum, had 2,837 Mayo applicants.

"This is money which will be invested in the Mayo local economy annually and will assist not just farmers but the wider rural economy.

"I fought hard during the Programme for Government discussions three years ago to secure the introduction of this scheme and I am delighted that Minister McConalogue has secured an enhanced budget which has enabled 100% success for Mayo ACRES applicants.

"Applicants will receive full information from the Department of Agriculture in the coming weeks regarding their priority actions and the next steps”