22nd September 2015
Wicklow and Carlow farmers to receive €2.9m under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme
The announcement by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney that €2.9million will be issued in Wicklow & Carlow under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme (ANC) is welcome and represents a boost for sustainable farming.
The Department of Agriculture have started to issue €117 million in payments nationally and €2.9million in counties Wicklow & Carlow under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme.
The Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme replaced the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme under the new Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020. The Scheme is co-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
This is a very important Scheme which focuses on ensuring the continued use of agricultural lands, the maintaining of the countryside, the protection of the environment and promotion of sustainable farming system.
These payments will provide a financial boost for the 1363 farmers in both counties who have been approved to receive this payment.
The Minister also confirmed that payments will continue to issue as individual farmers’ cases are confirmed eligible for payment.
It is also expected that 70% of the Basic Payment Scheme will be paid from 16th October with balancing payments issuing from 1st December. It is essential that we continue to support farmers in every way we can during the current challenging times.
Fine Gael’s top priority is to secure the economic recovery. We have a clear plan to build a strong economy generating the resources to invest in the services that people depend on and part of this plan includes driving the agri-food sector forward.“