Grass removal is only a recommendation and not a requirement as far I understand...
Would you have a picture of the fields that scored high by any chance to share on here ? I’m curious to see what there looking for to score high ?
They wouldn’t be the most productive fields - wet in parts. They haven’t got any fertiliser or slurry this year at least. One is full of orchids.
Yea that’s gona be difficult for some to have fields like that around the farm ! You have a great mix of different plants in it . What are your plans for it now tho ? Surly gone to strong to graze ?
It’s meadow. Was just cut. Nice hay I think. Nicer than the stronger fields.
Seems like a tough scheme overall to score.
The chose indicators literally means no nitrogen.
How much are advisors charging for the scheme?Is there a set price?
Around €650 (plus VAT I assume)
€300 year 1, €200 year 2....thats with teagasc
Really?
My advisor says he is €900 plus vat/year.
Seems like they can ask what they want so.Thats about 1/4 of money gone before starting up.
What do the advisors have to do in the second year?
My understanding is that they just inspect the areas in the scheme and re-score! So score may go up or down in year 2.
900 plus vat/year seems very excessive and i'd be of the opinion it mightn't be worthwhile if you have to fence off margins etc to bring up the score to try and maximise the payment per hectare. Teagasc is 300 for year 1 and less for year 2!
That 900 plus vat/yr would be the full participation fee gone!
I have a river and drains.Fenced those off 4.5m.Hedges dont need fencing plus i can plant 76m hedging.Stand to get around 3500 after advisor fees.
Minimum flowers tho even though it's got very little fertiliser in last few years.
Probably still worth my while but will struggle to run the same amount of stock on it.
Why 4.5 m? Is that 1.5 m as standard buffer? Then 3m for reap?
Yes that's right.
I just used pig tails gor the job.
I’d say it’s a scheme that will struggle the more stock you have .. you’d nearly have to cut stock in half if it was the whole farm was in it
Anyone get their ratings?
My advisor has told me the ten HA has gotten score that adds up to 2900 or so. 5s and 4s, plus the 1200 participation.
4.1k or so with no cost other than the Agri advisor who I think is charging 750 including Vat. Expensive IMO. But free money considering I did nothing other than not topping or spraying.
10ha here add up to €4800.Minus advisor fees leaves about €3900 per year.Advisor Fee is very high.
So it's just a low input permanent pasture type set up? I am finished glas this year and have an 8 HA block on a rented parcel adjoining my outfarm that may qualify and do quite well on this. Between that and ANC on it I would cover the rent and have the fertiliser on it for the cheques in the post.
Worth thinking about.
Putting fert on it is likely to see you marked down given the aims of the scheme
Maybe so but if you saw my lipp in glas it was full to the neck of weeds and it always got fert. A bag to the acre roughly was allowed. Is this scheme different like that?
40 units allow I think of N. A lot of weeds go against you. The stuff they are after doesn’t like N.
The scheme is not about "weeds" - its about encouraging a mixed sward with a high herbal element. That is what it will be marked on. Artificial N will degrade such a sward so will drop your "score" ie. less money
Thanks birdnuts. I have swards that incorporate plantain, cocksfoot, buttercup, proshack and Irish moss among others. I probably don't have 10 ha though. 8 maybe.
The parcel has about 800m of river bank however.
Is fencing off rivers and streams an option in REAP like it is in GLAS?
It can increase your score by putting in a 1/2/3m margin, if beside a stream then the standard buffer which I think is 1.5m already applies so then you need 2.5/3.5/4.5m margin for the purposes of REAP.
Anyone get any moola yet?
nada, have you had any communication since your advisor was out?
