INHFA National Council demands immediate halt to repayment requests for Mayo farmers under ACRES

The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association convened an urgent National Council meeting yesterday to address the ongoing fallout from the letters received by farmers regarding the ACRES scheme.

The letters, sent by the Department of Agriculture, have demanded the repayment of some or all of the €5,000 interim payment made earlier this year from some participating farmers.

The meeting, attended by President Vincent Roddy, saw delegates express intense frustration and anger toward the Department's handling of the scheme.

President Roddy reported that the delegates were unanimously irate over the Department’s demands, leading to a motion calling on the Minister for Agriculture and the Department to immediately cease all repayment requests.

The National Council outlined several critical failures by the Department that have led to this drastic call:

Lack of IT Infrastructure: The Department failed to implement a functioning IT system to manage the ACRES program, leading to widespread confusion and errors.

Absence of Scores for Farmers: Despite promises, the Department has not provided farmers with their scores, which would have allowed them to identify and correct any errors, thereby ensuring fair compensation.

Lack of CP Team Engagement: The Department’s Cooperation Project (CP) teams failed to engage with farmers on their landscape actions, which would have helped them increase their payments or maintain their interim payment in the event of low scores.

Unapproved NPIs: Farmers have been applying for Non Productive Investments (NPIs) since last year, yet the Department has failed to approve these crucial measures.

Inconsistent Repayment Demands: There have been significant discrepancies in repayment demands, with some farmers asked to repay the full €5,000 which could not be possible, while others with similar farm profiles face varying amounts, ranging from €1,600 to €3,250.

Planning Costs: Farmers have already incurred substantial costs, paying planners up to €1,000 to draft their plans, which has added to their financial burden.

Misleading Payment Projections: On the commencement of the ACRES Programme farmers were provided with overly optimistic payment projections, leading to false expectations about the scheme's potential earnings.

The INHFA National Council strongly argues that these failures have placed farmers in a precarious financial position, threatening the competitiveness and viability of their operations.

The council unanimously agreed that none of the €5,000 interim payment should be refunded. President Roddy emphasised that “the Department must urgently address these issues and take steps to salvage the ACRES scheme, which is now nearing two years since its inception.”

In the meantime, the INHFA President advised farmers “to respond to the Department’s letters, opting to defer any repayment until the next ACRES payment, which is currently the longest deferral option available.”

Concluding, the INHFA Leader stressed that “the association remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting farmers' interests and ensuring a fair and functional ACRES program moving forward.”