Advance payments totalling €17.5 million have been issued to 7,141 Donegal farmers this week under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme.
The scheme supports people farming land in designated areas face significant hardships from factors such as remoteness, difficult topography, climatic problems and poor soil conditions.
The rates of payment are dependent on land type and size.
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue announced ANC payments totalling over €184 million today. He said: “This is the highest level of advance payments to the most farmers ever achieved for the ANC. Also, I am very pleased that, as I committed, the ANC payment date in 2024 is fully in line with dates agreed with the Farmers’ Charter earlier this year.”
“The ANC scheme is crucial to farm families, and I know the importance of getting payments out to applicants as quickly as possible. The issuing of these payments in mid-September highlights our commitment to make payments to farmers at the earliest possible time.
“Payments will be visible in farmers’ bank accounts in the coming days and my department will continue to process, as a matter of urgency, all remaining cases for payment as they meet scheme criteria,” the Donegal minister added.
Minister McConalogue also confirmed that his department is on track to facilitate payment of the advance of 70% under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS), Complementary Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) from October 16th 2024 and payments under the Eco-scheme from October 21st 2024.
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