Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, has outlined to farmers how they can continue participating in GLAS for 2022.
The DAFM is offering a one-year extension to farmers with GLAS 1, 2 or 3 contracts, which will expire on December 31st, 2021.
It has issued information packs to current active participants in the Green Low-Carbon Agri-environment Scheme (GLAS).
The documentation includes an offer to extend their GLAS contracts before the deadline of December 10th, 2021.
The information packs:
- Convey the offer to extend and the ways in which they may apply;
- Provide current details of their GLAS contract;
- Circulars summarising changes to the relevant terms and conditions, and specifications.
GLAS 2022
In a statement on Monday, November 15th, 2021, the minister said:
“The process will be similar to that undertaken last year. I was encouraged to see the number of participants who extended their GLAS contracts for this year.”
“It meant that the provision of environmental benefits continued to accrue during the transitional period before the new CAP while farmers also had continuity of income.”
The minister said the DAFM pays out some €200m to GLAS participants, and the continued availability of such payments are of “huge importance”.
“Securing these crucial farm payments was a key priority of mine. It was important to deliver income security to these farmers in GLAS as we transition between CAP programmes.”
The minister said as the DAFMis offering extensions for several schemes, it proposed to issue offers on “a sequential basis”.
“My department has endeavoured to make the process to extend as straightforward as possible, with a few options available for submission of application.”
“A key point is that actions undertaken under GLAS continue on January 1st, 2022. Farmers may now wish to consider whether to avail of the offer and be in a position to reply upon receipt of the offer.”
How to extend GLAS participation
You can access the updated versions of the terms and conditions and specifications for each tranche on the department’s website.
There will be two ways in which participants may apply to extend their contract:
- By text message: The DAFM will issue a text message to each participant who is registered wto receive texts. It will give farmers the option to reply ‘DAFM Y’ (for Yes) or ‘DAFM N’ (for No). Participants will have 72 hours from receipt of the text message to reply. Participants will already have received this text message and are encouraged to respond soon;
- Farmers may also submit applications by logging on to ie– to go live on Thursday, November, 18th, 2021. The participant or an agent authorised to act on his/her behalf in relation to GLAS may submit an application via Agfood. Options are ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
OFS AND BDGP
Furthermore, the DAFM said it would confirm separately the arrangements for how farmers in the Organic Farming Scheme and the BDGP can apply to roll-over their participation.
