Last month, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) revealed a menu of five actions for farmers to choose from for the Pillar I eco scheme under the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

As part of the next CAP, which will run from 2023-2027, 25% of every farmer's basic payment will be skimmed off and the funds will be returned at a flat rate to farmers who successfully qualify for the Pillar I eco scheme.

Remember, the Pillar I eco scheme is not to be confused with the Pillar II Environmental Scheme.

To qualify for the Pillar I eco scheme, farmers must choose two of the following five measures:

While the exact figures have not yet been confirmed, Agriland understands the targets will look something similar to the following:

It is important to point out that the precise scheme requirements have yet to be confirmed but the measures are expected to be somewhere in the region of the figures outlined above.

Farmers who do not qualify for two of the above measures or - for whatever reason - do not apply for the eco scheme, will ultimately be losing 25% of their Pillar I payment.

The DAFM estimates that €297 million per annum, or €1.483 billion over the course of the CAP will be available for the Pillar I eco scheme.

All active farmers will be able to apply for the eco scheme regardless of whether they hold entitlements or not and payment will be made on all eligible hectares claimed.

If all 129,000 farmers who submitted a BPS in 2021 claim all their eligiblehectares for the Pillar I eco scheme (approx. 4.698 million ha), the rate of payment should be approximately €63/ha/year.

If 85% of farmers apply (approximatley 110,000 farmers), the rate of payment should be approximatley €74/ha/year.