Supplementary Schemes

Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability

(CRISS)

This measures designed to redistribute CHP funds from larger firms to medium and smaller size farms. It is mandatory under the EU regulation.It is proposed to allocate 10% of the direct payments ceiling (amounting to some €118m in Ireland) to CRISS, a

key target under the EU Regulation.

CRISS is paid up to the  first 30 hectares at a rate of approximately €43 per hectare.Eligible beneficiaries are required to:

• Submit a BISS application each year via the online application system, declaring their farmland located within the jurisdiction of Ireland;
• Meet the minimum requirements to receive a direct payment as will be defined under Article 18 of the CSP Regulation;
• Meet the definition of a ‘active farmer’

Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CIS-YF)

The intervention is designed to provide support to appropriately qualified young farmers entering the agriculture sector in the years immediately following the young farmer setting up as head of the holding, solely or jointly. The intervention will also provide certainty in terms of the level of income support for eligible applicants for up to 5 years, which is an important factor in financial planning.

Support under CIS-YF builds on the support available underthe Young Farmers Scheme from 2015 to 2022. In line with the requirements under the CSP regulation forthe operation ofthe CIS-YF, eligible applicants must first be entitled to a payment under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS).

Eligible  farmerss may apply annually stop eligible hectares 50 ha per applicant may be supported. An eligible former must be not more than 40 years of age we setting up as head of the holding jointly solely for the first time or has set up such a holding during the preceding five years before the first application

• Has successfully completed a recognised course of education in agriculture giving rise to an award at Level 6 or equivalent on the National Framework of Qualifications;
• Entitled to payment under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS).

A payment is made per eligible hectare up to 50 ha stop 3% of the annual direct payments ceiling is applied to this objective yielding approximately 178 Euro per hectare across the period

Eco Scheme

The eco-scheme under the 2023 to 2027 program is the climate environmental water quality and biodiversity incentive element. The intervention is implemented annually. And farmers may opt in or out of it annually. The requirements are over and above the ordinary B ISS conditions.

There are eight agricultural practices in the eco-scheme. A farmer must select at least two practices in order to receive the eco-scheme payment.

• Space for Nature – at least 7% of a farmer’s holding must be devoted to biodiversity, habitats or landscape features, building on the 4% requirement for all farmers already set under GAEC 8 as part of Conditionality. Where the farmer commits to at least 10%, this counts as two actions under the Eco Scheme.

• Extensive Livestock Production – minimum stocking rate of 0.10 LU/ha (same as ANC) with a maximum stocking rate of 1.4 LU/ha. Payment in 2023 will be based on the stocking rate in 2022. Where the farmer commits to a maximum stocking rate of 1.2 LU/ha, this will count as two actions under the Eco Scheme.

• Limiting Chemical Nitrogen Usage, in line with the table below: Band Grassland stocking rate in 2022 Max permitted application (kgs organic nitrogen per ha) of chemical nitrogen in 2023 (kgs per ha)

1 ≤90 73

2 >90-130 89

3 >130-170 165

4 >170-210 240

5 > 210 214

There will also be a maximum limit of chemical nitrogen for tillage farmers to undertake this measure, which will be 10% below the national average i.e., 139.41 kg/ha.

• Planting of Native Trees and hedges – the commitment is to plant 3 native trees per eligible hectare or 1 metre of hedgerow. Where a farmer commits to plant twice that either (a) 6 native trees or (b) 2 metres of hedgerow or, a combination (c) 3 trees and 1 metre of hedgerow, per eligible hectare, this will count as two actions under the Eco Scheme.
• Use of a GPS-controlled fertiliser spreader or GPS controlled sprayer – Application of at least 100% of chemical fertiliser (whether compound or liquid) or plant protection products to be applied with a GPS controlled fertiliser spreader and or GPS controlled sprayer.
• Soil Sampling and Appropriate Liming on all eligible hectares. Where the farmer selects this action, it could not be selected again for a further 3 years in line with Teagasc guidance relating to the frequency of taking soil samples.
• Planting of a break crop(s) – The Eco Scheme will require that at least 20% of the arable area of the holding in the year of the commitment is planted to a prescribed break crop of either Oilseed Rape, Oats, Peas and Beans or a combination of one or more of these crops.

• Sowing of a Multi Species Sward, on at least 7% of the farmers eligible area in the year s/he selects this as an Eco-Scheme action. Where s/he selects it again in a further year, the farmer must sow down a further 7% of their eligible area.

Within the list above, specific actions may be targeted at a specific cohort or intensity of farmers.

Proposed Eligibility Conditions/Selection Criteria.

The scheme is open to all active farmers in the country or groups of active farmers ts. A B ISS application is required. There is an annual payment for all eligible hectares covered by the commitments. Farmers will receive payment on all eligible hectares on their holding. Payments will be made on additional costs incurred and income foregone as set out in the EU Regulations under Article 31 (7) (b) of the CAP Strategic Plan Regulation.

The payment per hectare is based on the participation rate. Prospectively up 229,000 eligible farmers could participate. It is anticipated that the payment based on 85% participation will be 77 Euro per hectare stop based on the ring fencing of eco-scheme is a 25% of the national direct payments ceiling the measure is estimated at €297 million per annum

Coupled Income Support for Protein Aid

This is designed to support the domestic production of protein crops in Ireland.Diversification towards protein crop production could mitigate against these risks and result in lower carbon intensity farming, which would be beneficial to the  climate and the natural environment. In terms of their environmental benefits, protein crops can serve as a very valuable break crop in tillage crop rotations and they provide an essential protein source for animal feed free from GMOs, thus underpinning the security of food production in the sector. Furthermore, legumes play an important role in fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere resulting in reduced chemical nitrogen fertiliser usage. There are also biodiversity benefits from growing protein crops.

Eligible farmers will submit a BISS application declaring the areas in which they are planting eligible crops.The eligible crops for support under this intervention are peas,  beans and lupins. It is proposed to also include soya and protein/cereal mix crop as eligible crops under the scheme. The payment will be made per hectare at a rate of between €583 to €350 per hectare for peas, beans, lupins, soya crops and the protein/cereal mix crop will be paid at 50% rate of the full protein crops rate. The annual indicative allocation for this intervention is proposed at €7m, amounting to a total indicative financial allocation of €35m for the period 2023-2027.

Apiculture Programme

The aim of this intervention is to provide support for research actions in the apiculture sector. It is intended that the research and work funded will be of a ‘public good’ nature, and that the results will be made freely available to beekeepers.

All suitable Institutions that can demonstrate the necessary research capabilities are eligible to submit proposals for funding under the National Apiculture Programme. The Programme may support the following:

• National surveillance programme testing for the prevalence of selected bee diseases and pests that affect colony loss in hives across Ireland;
• Research into other potential reasons for bee colony loss, including other pathogens and climate change, may also be undertaken;
• Recruitment of a part time advisor to communicate research results and contribute to and support educational programmes by the beekeeping associations in Ireland;
• Cooperation with specialised bodies in the field of beekeeping and apiculture products including participation in the COLOSS Network.

In the CAP Strategic Plan Regulation, Member State allocations for types of interventions in the apiculture sector are established based on the number of beehives present in each Member State. Each Member State is then expected to co-finance this allocation at a rate of 50%. Ireland’s total allocation amounts to €61,640 per annum, and therefore the annual indicative financial allocation for this intervention is €123,280. This amounts to a total indicative financial allocation of €616,400 for the period 2023-2027.

Sectoral Intervention in the Fruit and Vegetables Sector

The aim of this intervention is to provide support for existing and new Producer Organisations (POs) in the Fruit and Vegetables (F&V) sector to achieve some or all of the specific objectives for the F&V sector outlined in the CSP Regulation. In order to be recognised by DAFM, a PO must

• produce fruit or vegetables (excluding potatoes) worth a total Value of Marketed Product of €2.5 million or more
• have more than 5 members
• fulfil all EU legislative and national requirements for recognition as a

Proposed Support rates/financial allocation

The aid budget will be a minimum of 4.1% of each PO’s Value of Marketed Product (VMP). A claim for EU aid to cover 50% of the costs of the Operational Programme will be thoroughly evaluated and once approved, will be paid in arrears. At least 15% of the aid awarded to each PO will have been spent on actions to deliver on environmental objectives and 2% must be spent on Research and Development. The total indicative financial allocation for this intervention €44m for the period 2023-2027.

Additional financial support for newly recognised POs is available through the Early Stage Support for Producer Organisations.