MINISTER for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has praised farmers for putting the environment ‘at the core of Irish farming’.
Minister McConalogue said farmers had made huge efforts to protect water bodies and improve water quality, enhance habitats and reduce agricultural emissions.
He said that there have been ‘challenges’ associated with elements of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (Acres) scheme, but says the efforts of 54,000 farmers on the scheme are having a positive impact, and he expects remaining issues to be resolved ‘early in the new year’.
‘The work being done by farmers as part of Acres will have long-term benefits for all of us,’ Minister McConalogue said.
‘As well as taking actions to protect water courses, for example, landowners have also committed to planting more than 2,000 kilometres of hedgerows and approximately 580,000 native trees. This illustrates some of the hugely positive contributions being made by farmers to the country’s environmental sustainability.’
Under Acres, farmers are maintaining more than 10,000km of traditional dry stonewalls, installing owl, bird and bat boxes, and are rejuvenating more than 1,400 kilometres of hedges.
Extensive work is also being carried out to protect 560,000 hectares of upland peatland.
‘We should not underestimate the value farmers are adding to our landscape and our lives, and how important the work that they do is. It goes beyond the tangible benefits of quality food production,’ said Minister McConalogue.
‘I want to thank the more than 54,000 Acres participants for their commitment to putting the environment at the core of Irish farming.’
Minister McConalogue said that as part of Acres, farmers are helping to conserve breeding waders such as curlews and snipes, developing coastal habitants, and supporting rough grazing to benefit hen harriers, barn owls and small birds and mammals, as well as maintaining grassland habitats for pollinators.
Farmers have also committed to a series of actions to control invasive species, improve grazing practices, delay mowing and grazing to protect ground-nesting birds and change vegetation on land, among a range of other agri-environmental actions.
‘I acknowledge there have been challenges associated with the scale and administration of some elements of the scheme, but I do not want to lose sight of the enormous amount of work already completed and in progress and the positive impact this will have.
‘My Department is working to ensure that remaining issues are resolved early in the new year.'
