Farmers will be paid €6.21/tree/year to a maximum of 300 trees if they opt to select the measure in the DAFM’s new agri-environmental scheme, ACRES.
That is according to Tom Kelly, who spoke during the third episode of Teagasc Mayo’s recent spring webinar series on ACRES and water quality.
The tree planting measure, he told viewers, must be completed before March 31st, 2024, as per the measure’s conditions.
Trees must have a plant passport and be of Irish origin/provenance to “ensure that you are not spreading disease or bringing in trees from foreign shores”, Kelly explained.
“Also, under this measure, grass and vegetation are to be controlled and equally with the hedges, putting down biodegradable film or some type of bark mulch to slow down the growth of the weeds is also a great help.”
Moreover, there must be at least 4 metres of spacing between each tree, and most species require a staked tree shelter to enhance survival rates, Kelly highlighted.
Breeding waders and geese and swans
Another optional measure under the scheme is dedicating land to breeding waders and geese, and swans, Kelly highlighted during the virtual information session.
The purpose of the geese and swans measure is to promote the production of undistributed foraging area for out-wintering.
Kelly explained that “geese and swans are winter migratory birds that come in from the likes of Greenland and need to build up fat reserves to make it back to these countries in the springtime”.
“They need plenty of lush green grass, no disturbance or no slurry spreading either, so they are very suitable for cattle farms,” he concluded.
Previous agriculture/farming news on That’s Farming:
- LIG in ACRES: ‘If you score less than 4, you get no payment’
- ACRES: Extensively Grazed Pasture carries max payment rate of €2,000/yr
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