The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has confirmed that there will be an exemption under requirements related to the arable fallow action of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).

ACRES participants who selected the action 'Environmental Management of Arable Fallow' are required to create a field of bare ground by shallow cultivation on or before March 31 each year, and maintain a rough, uneven surface in the field.

However, in a message to ACRES advisers, the department said that adverse weather in recent months has created difficult ground conditions in many areas for any cultivation to take place.

An extension to the March 31 deadline was initially considered.

The department then concluded, based on ecological advice, that such a move could be potentially harmful for lapwing and other ground nesting species, as some species only produce one brood per year, and this can occur as early as the second week of April.

The department is therefore granting an exemption from this requirement for 2026.

In its message to advisers, the department stressed that the exemption is for this year only.

The exemption for this year means that, where ground conditions do not allow ACRES participants to fulfil the relevant requirement under this action (i.e. to create an area of bare ground by shallow cultivation on or before March 31, 2026), no shallow cultivation is required this spring.

All other requirements must still be met for the arable fallow action.

The department asked advisers to bring the exemption to the attention of their clients participating in ACRES for whom the action was approved.

ACRES payment claim

In the last week, the department has also reminded advisers of the requirement that farmers applying for the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) must also complete an ACRES payment claim as part of the BISS application process.

The application process for the 2026 BISS, as well as for the Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) and the eco-schemes, opened on February 13.

The annual ACRES payment claim for farmers participating in ACRES forms part of the annual BISS application.

The ACRES terms and conditions requires farmers admitted to ACRES to submit a payment claim annually within the deadline for the submission of applications for BISS.

The closing date for completed BISS applications is May 15.