Farmers participating in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) are reminded that the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) will again be using the Area Monitoring System (AMS) to ensure that farmers have met their eligibility requirements for 2026. AMS is defined as the regular and systematic observation, tracking and assessment of agricultural activities and practices on agricultural areas using Copernicus Sentinel Satellite data.
AMS interprets Sentinel satellite imagery which enables the Department to determine agricultural activities on the 1.3 million declared land parcels in the country. Parcels monitored by AMS will have colour-coded results: Green, Yellow or Red. Parcels flagged by AMS as green and yellow indicate a degree of confidence that the land details in the farmer’s application have been verified by AMS and payments may be made. A land parcel flagged by AMS as red, however, indicates an error which may result in a notification being issued to the applicant on their MyAgFood account, https://myagfood-client.apps.services.agriculture.gov.ie/account, along with a request to submit geotagged photographs using Agrisnap™. An error could include an ineligible crop sown to meet the requirements of a particular scheme, an incorrect crop declared on BISS (different to what AMS has identified on the ground) or the presence of an ineligible feature such as a roadway or residence. AMS may be complemented with follow up checks on the ground by a Department Inspector to provide further clarification. Failure to respond to an AMS notification and to submit an Agrisnap™ may result in a delay to scheme payments.
Further information relating to AMS and replying to AMS notifications is available on the Department’s website at Area Monitoring System (AMS) (www.gov.ie), while information in relation to receipt of an AMS notification can be found under section 16 of the BISS Terms and Conditions for 2026 published on the Department’s website at Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) Scheme (www.gov.ie).
AMS will be monitoring seven ACRES actions again in 2026. The purpose of this Technical Notice is to remind farmers of the ACRES actions to be monitored by AMS in 2026, some of which have key dates falling in March, as follows:
| Action | AMS will check for: |
| Environmental Management of Arable Fallow | Establishment of a catch crop before 15 September 2026 |
| Extensively Grazed Pasture | Mowing events during the restricted period, i.e. 15 March 2026 to 1 July 2026. |
| Riparian Buffer Zone - Arable | The presence of a grass crop and mowing events during the restricted period, i.e. 1 March 2026 to 31 August 2026. |
| Riparian Buffer Zone - Grassland | The presence of a grass crop and mowing events during the restricted period, i.e. 1 March 2026 to 31 August 2026 |
| Catch Crops | Establishment of catch crop before 15 September 2026. |
| Winter Bird Food | Establishment of Winter Bird Food crop by 15 May 2026. |
| Brassica Fodder Stubble | Establishment before 31 July 2026. |
The detailed requirements for the undertaking of the above Actions are available in the ACRES Specifications available on the Department’s website at ACRES Terms and Conditions, Specifications and Circulars (www.gov.ie).
To learn more about the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), click here.
