Minister McConalogue announces offer to extend GLAS contracts for 2022

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., today gave further details about how farmers can continue their participation in GLAS for 2022. Farmers with GLAS 1, 2 or 3 contracts which will expire on 31st December 2021 are being offered an extension of one year (i.e. to 31 December 2022)

Referring to his statement following Budget 2022 about the maintenance of crucial farm schemes, the Minister advised that

“My Department has now issued information packs to current active participants in the Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme (GLAS), including an offer to extend their GLAS contracts and the ways in which they may apply by the deadline of 10th December 2021. The process will be similar to that undertaken last year. I was encouraged to see the number of participants who extended their GLAS contracts for this year, as it meant that the provision of environmental benefits continued to accrue during the transitional period before the new CAP while farmers also had continuity of income. Some €200m is paid out annually to GLAS participants so the continued availability of such payments to farmers is of huge importance."

"Securing these crucial farm payments was a key priority of mine. It was important to deliver income security to these farmers in GLAS as we transition between CAP programmes."

The Minister concluding by saying that, as an extension is being offered for a number of schemes, the Department is proposing to issue offers on a sequential basis, adding

“My Department has endeavoured to make the process to extend as straightforward as possible, with a few options available for submission of application. A key point is that actions undertaken under GLAS continue on 1st January 2022 so farmers may now wish to consider whether to avail of the offer and be in position to reply upon receipt of offer”.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Arrangements for extension of GLAS contracts

• Farmers with GLAS 1, 2 or 3 contracts which will expire on 31 December 2021 are being offered an extension of 1 year (i.e. to 31 December 2022)

• An information pack was posted to participants on Wednesday, 10 November 2021, conveying the offer to extend and the ways in which they may apply, and also providing current details of their GLAS contract and circulars summarising changes to the relevant Terms and Conditions, and Specifications.

• The updated versions of the relevant of the Terms and Conditions and the Specifications for each Tranche are accessible on the Department’s website.

• There will be 2 ways in which participants may apply to extend their contract:

o By text message: A text message will issue first to each participant who is registered with the Department to receive texts, giving the option to reply ‘DAFM Y’ (for Yes) or ‘DAFM N’ (for No). Participants will have 72 hours from receipt of the text message to reply. Participants will already have received this text message and are encouraged to respond soon.

o Applications may also be submitted by logging on to agfood.ie – to go live on Thursday 18th November 2021; an application may be submitted via Agfood by the participant, or an agent authorised to act on his/her behalf in relation to GLAS – the options provided are ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

• Any queries to GLAS section at glas@agriculture.gov.ie or by calling 053 9163425

• Closing date for receipt of responses will be 10 December 2021

The Department will confirm separately the arrangements for how farmers in the Organic Faring Scheme and the BDGP can apply to rollover their participation