The application window for Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is now open for applications.

The opening of the application widow was confirmed by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon.

The deadline for submission of applications is Friday, October 17.

The NPIs are available to ACRES participants who are in the Co-operation Project (CP) ACRES stream.

The actions are available to support ACRES CP participants to "enhance the sustainable management of their farms", the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said.

Making the announcement, Minister Heydon said: "There are a wide range of complementary environmental actions which an ACRES [CP] farmer may avail of under this element of ACRES.

The minister urged farmers in the CP element of the scheme to "avail of this opportunity to increase the environmental standard of their land and thereby attract a higher rate of payment through the resultant increase in the scoring of that land".

The minister explained that the same process is in place for this NPI application window that was in place for the previous two application windows in 2023 and 2024.

Applications, in the form of NPI Annual Work Plans, need to be prepared and submitted by ACRES advisors on behalf of ACRES CP participants.

The NPI application window is opening earlier this year which may give CP farmers an opportunity to discuss possible NPIs with their ACRES advisor when the advisor is out on their farm assessing and scoring their lands, the minister said.

"Some of those NPIs have now been implemented on foot of the approvals issued in respect of 2023 and 2024 applications, and the NPI claims system is now open for the submission of claims," Minister Heydon said.

He added: "We will see the value of those NPIs in real terms from now and it is worthwhile for ACRES Co-operation farmers to explore with their ACRES advisor the options available to them in the form of NPIs."