Farmers who’ve established two-month catch crops under the Farming for Water EIP are being reminded that the declaration deadline is fast approaching.
Almost 1,400 applications have been received under the pilot, which promotes the use of catch or cover crops following the harvest of cereal, oilseed, or vegetable crops. Under the Farming for Water project, catch crop establishments have been targeted in areas identified for nitrate reduction in the south and east.
Participants needed to be aware that all declarations for Measure 6B (two month catch/cover crop) must be submitted by September 8th to be eligible for funding under the Farming for Water EIP. With funding of €173/ha/year available, such crops must remain in place until September 30th and meet the eligibility criteria outlined in acceptance letters.
Farmers who’ve opted to establish four month catch crops (Measure 6A) by the September 1 deadline are also being reminded that the deadline for declarations is October 1st. Such catch crops, which attract support of €229/ha, must remain in place until January 1st and, once again, meet the eligibility criteria outlined in acceptance letters.
Project Lead, Mairead Whitty described the uptake as exceeding all expectations and noted that it is extremely positive from a water quality perspective.
“The level of engagement from the tillage sector was very significant, and this would not have been possible without the Teagasc ASSAP advisory team, the Teagasc Regional Managers and the wider Teagasc tillage advisory team.
“I would like to acknowledge the huge volume of work they completed within a very tight timeframe and thank them for their support for this pilot. The unprecedented demand placed significant pressure on the EIP team to process and approve applications in advance of the sowing deadline, and they too are to be complimented for their work.
“I would also like to thank the many farmers who have engaged with the project and are actively implementing measures to improve water quality,” Mairead Whitty added.
Full details and the online declaration for are available on the Farming for Water website.
Find out how catch crops play an important role in nitrogen uptake here.