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Non-Productive Investments (NPIs)

NPIs are actions which you, an ACRES CP farmer can apply to undertake through your farm advisor and get paid for actions which you complete.

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Gates

Heritage or Field Gates

Gates are essential for managing livestock on remote sites and when planned correctly can have great in-direct benefits for habitats.

  • €185.61 per field gate

  • €496.61 per heritage gate

Fencing

Sheep, Barbed Wire or Permanent electric

Stock proofing existing boundaries can be an essential action when managing grazing habitats.

​€3.44 per/m for Sheep wire

€1.52 per/m for Permanent Electric

€2.60 per/m for Barbed wire

257.50/unit for a Solar Electric fencer

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Wildlife boxes

Barn Owl, Bat, Swift and Swallow Boxes

Installing wildlife boxes on your farm can provide vital habitat for various species while earning you a decent payment

€294.40/box for Barn Owl/Kestrel Box

€56.43/box for Bat boxes (min of 3)

€134.04/box for Swift boxes (min of 3)

€29.32/box for Swallow boxes (min of 3)

Stone wall repair

Stone walls are important cultural features of the Burren and Aran areas, for walls that have fallen into disrepair, there is funding available to restore and maintain them.

€3.03/m for 2-sided stone walls

€1.53/m for 1-sided stone walls

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Scrub control

Area or Strip

Although beneficial for biodiversity in most cases in the Irish landscape, encroaching scrub poses a distinct threat to the unique and rare grasslands of the Burren and Aran areas. 

  • €480.97-€14,784 per hectare (area)

  • €0.96-5.28 per metre (strip)

Water provision

Water troughs, rainwater catchers, water storage tanks, solar water pumps and pasture pumps

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Having a good, clean, reliable supply of water within a field can provide a range of benefits to water quality and biodiversity. Troughs can be used to keep cattle away from springs, streams and rivers and also encourage grazing in remote parts of winterages.

​€290.66 per Water Trough

€716.84 per 'built' Rainwater Catcher

€798.66 per Water Storage tank

€1852.50 per Solar water pump

€289.04 per Pasture Pump

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Feed provision

Mobile feed troughs and Storage Bins

Burren ration is a great alternative to silage feeding in the lean spring months while cows are still on the winterage. These actions are designed to encourage meal feed as opposed to silage feeding on winterages.

€59.22 per feed trough

€175.20 per mobile feed storage bin

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Conservation of Cultural heritage sites

The Burren aran region is widely known for the wealth of archaeological or cultural features within the landscape. They do however require on-going maintenance and upkeep, a once-off payment is available per feature.

€299.91 for sites on arable land

€133.71 for sites on grassland

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Tree Planting Options

Traditional Orchards, Small woodlands (160 or 300 trees) or Planting 3 trees

Tree planting has a wide range of benefits for biodiversity carbon capture, water quality and shade. There is good funding and a range of options available to you as an ACRES CP farmer.

  • €1,302.61 per orchard (Min 10 trees)

  • €1,247.48 per woodland (160 trees on 0.05ha)

  • €2,309.20 per woodland (300 trees on 0.05ha)

  • €31.17 per tree (min 3 trees)​

Bracken Control

Strimming or Mechanical

Dense stands of bracken can threaten species-rich grassland areas. there is funding available for its control. There is funding vailable for 'cutting' or preferrably 'bruising' the bracken in late May and then again 6 weeks later.

​€835.44/ha for Strimming

€242.76/ha for Mechanical (tyres behind a tractor)​

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Hedgerows

Planting new, or rejuvenating existing hedgerows.

Hedgerows are highly important habitats for wildlife and are great for providing shade and shelter to livestock. by replacing fencing with a hedgerow you may even be able to boost your score on some of your fields in addition to getting paid to plant the hedge.

€23.10/m for New hedgerows

€18.88/m for hedgerow rejuvenation (coppicing, infilling and/or laying)

Riparian Margins

Fencing off a buffer zone along a river and allowing it to revegetate can have great benefits for the river by intercepting nutrients, holding the soil together, providing shade and the creation of a wildlife corridor. You can install either permanent electric fencing or sheep wire fencing along the river or drain and there is also an additional payment if you opt to plant trees within the margin. 

€5.50/m for Permanent electric fencing

€9.48/m for Sheep wire fencing

€13.93/tree for riparian margin tree planting.

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Tracks

Re-gravelling of winterage tracks

Vehicle access tracks are vitally important for managing cattle on remote, upland winterage sites on short winter days. Funding is available to repair sections of existing track which have fallen into disrepair. Culverts may be installed on sections of track or drain crossings where vehicles and livestock arecrossing through the water

  • €2.99 per metre of track resurfaced​

  • €476.22 per culvert

Rodenticide-Free Rodent Control

An Alternative to Poison Baits

Replace etc

Habitat supports for wild birds

Wild Bird Cover and Wader Scrapes

PBit on both

Winter Stubble

Dont have much on this

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