The Irish Natura & Hill Farmers (INHFA) have outlined the growing concern amongst farmers around the lack of critical detail relating to ACRES Co-operation.INHFA President Vincent Roddy confirmed that they have seen an increase in the number of calls from farmers frustrated and angry following letters issued by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) seeking the recovery of payments.
“While some farmers had expected these letters following the issuing of their payment status on the Agfood portal, there are many others where the letter has come as a surprise” added the INHFA President.
However, the letters are, he stated, “only part of the problem, because for many farmers these letters and the sum of money detailed for recovery come without a reference point which is a major issue.”
Where money is being recovered there is Roddy explained “an onus on the person or institution to provide detailed clarity with regard to how this overpayment has occurred. In this instance the habitat scorecard is the basis to assess if there is, and at what level an overpayment has been made. However, for these farmers and indeed all commonage farmers this critical piece of information has not been given.”
It is, he continued “utterly shocking that commonage farmers have still not received the habitat scores for their lands, despite these scores being with the DAFM since last October. However, what is even more incredible is that we are now seeing many of these commonages being re-scored despite the fact that farmers don’t even know what their first score was.”
The INHFA are, he stated “calling on the DAFM to immediately issue the scores to all commonage farmers which will give them the critical information that informs their ACRES payments.”
From once farmers have these scores they will Roddy stressed “be in a position to decide if they want to challenge the recovery of all or some of the over-payments the DAFM have outlined in their recent letters, because there is a strong opinion amongst some farmers that the overpayment detailed by the DAFM is excessive, with many believing that they are still owed money.”
Concluding, the INHFA leader stressed the need for the DAFM to get a handle on this adding that “if they don’t the entire scheme could unravel because there are farmers that are already looking to leave ACRES.”