The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) paid out over €37.5 million in scheme payments to farmers last week.

The vast majority of the payments, over €34 million, were made under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).

This figure includes balancing payments in respect of participation in ACRES in 2024 worth €33.2 million paid to 42,444 participants.

These payments bring the amount paid to farmers for ACRES to almost €490 million since the agri-environmental scheme commenced in January 2023.

The data, published by the department, also shows that €1.8 million was paid out last week under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes (TAMS).

€1.7 million was paid to farmers in TAMS 3, while an additional €85,000 was paid out for TAMS 2.

Around €64.6 million has now been paid out under TAMS 3 across 7,386 claims. There has been 28,316 TAMS 3 applications approved with over 9,366 payment claims submitted.

The latest update also shows that a further €490,000 was paid last week for the 2024 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Complimentary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS).

This brings the total paid out to 119,436 farmers under these measures to €845 million.

This figure includes the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CISYF) at €38 million and the National Reserve (€3.2 million).

An additional €550,000 was issued by the department to farmers under the 2024 Eco Scheme.

€80,000 was paid out for the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) and Areas of Specific Constraint (ASC).

The department issued over €250,000 to farmers participating in the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS), bringing the total payout to €57 million to 4,742 farmers.

DAFM also issued €139,000 under the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM), €86,000 for the Baling Assistance Payment (BAP), €4,000 under the Red Clover Scheme, and €5,400 to farmers in the Multi species Sward Scheme.