Greening Payment

The Greening Payment is paid to farmers for helping to protect the environment and for tackling climate change. It is paid alongside the Basic Payment Scheme.

More than 90% of farmers will automatically qualify for the Greening Payment on the basis of their current farming practices. The remainder will have to undertake specific measures to qualify.

Greening involves environmentally friendly practices in these areas:

• crop diversification
• protection of permanent grassland
• protection of environmentally sensitive areas

Unless you have an exemption, to qualify for the payment you must:

• sow a number of different crops (2 or 3) when you have 10 or more hectares of arable land
• declare ‘Ecological Focus Areas’ on 5% of your arable land when you have more than 15 hectares of arable land
• conserve permanent pasture designated as Environmentally Sensitive by not ploughing or converting it

For exemptions to these rules and to find out more about the steps needed, read the Greening Guide. You must also comply with all the conditions of the scheme and Cross Compliance to qualify.

The Greening Payment is calculated as a fixed percentage of your Basic Payment Scheme payment. The Greening rate for 2019 was approximately 44%.

You apply for the Greening Payment as part of the Basic Payment Scheme application. To apply online, login or register at www.agfood.ie. You must apply by midnight on 17 May 2020.

If your login or password are expired and need to be renewed please contact the Department’s helpdesk.

Alternatively, you can authorise an agricultural consultant or Teagasc advisor to apply on your behalf.