Press release
Minister McConalogue announces 2022 REAP Payments
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, today announced the commencement of the 2022 payments under the Results Based Environment Agri Pilot Project (REAP) scheme. Almost €12 million will be paid to over 3,300 REAP farmers which represents 90% of all scheme participants.
The two-year REAP scheme was launched in early 2021 to trial an agri-environment results-based scoring and payment system on farms across the country. The project was introduced to test the upscaling potential of the results-based model for use in a national agri-environment scheme.
In announcing REAP payments Minister McConalogue said:
“I am very happy to see the success of REAP and delighted to these payments issue to so many farmers. REAP is a farmer-friendly pilot scheme and we explored how we can bring greater environmental and biodiversity value to how we farm. Using this new approach, the project has been a great success and has paved the way for the broadening of the results-based approach through ACRES.
“REAP enabled Irish farmers to modify their farming practices and to farm in a more sustainable manner and for their advisors to become more knowledgeable on results-based assessments. The commencement of the 2022 REAP payments will support farmers in their efforts to continue Irish agriculture’s journey to become even more sustainable and meet out ambitious climate objectives.
“I look forward to seeing the benefits of REAP continued through the upscaling of the model through ACRES.”
Achievements under the project include:
The roll-out of REAP also fulfilled the government’s commitment to pilot an agri-environment project during the CAP transition period, supported by additional exchequer funding.
REAP paved the way for the introduction of results-based measures on a broader scale under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme. ACRES is the €1.5 billion government’s new flagship environmental scheme under the new CAP and is designed to deliver broad environmental and biodiversity benefits by aligning financial support with climate and land use objectives.