ACRES participants must file their 2026 Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) annual declaration by Monday, November 2, 2026. The online portal is now open on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's (DAFM) MyAgfood.ie platform.

The declaration can be completed either by an ACRES adviser on behalf of their client or by the participant directly.

The deadline carries real financial weight. DAFM stated: "Failure to complete and submit the LESS return will result in a delay in making the 2026 ACRES advance payment and may result in the rejection of the LESS action from their ACRES contract."

That puts the LESS action — and the advance payment tied to the wider ACRES contract — directly at risk for anyone who misses the date.

Slurry spreading deadline extended

DAFM has also responded to exceptional summer weather and a surge in grass growth in areas previously hit by drought. Slurry application will be permitted this year up to October 7, 2026.

The closed period for slurry spreading therefore commences on October 8.

"Farmers who wish to avail of the extension need to register with this department in advance of spreading," DAFM said.

Registration is done by emailing [email protected] or phoning 053 916 3425, quoting the herd number.

LESS action requirements

DAFM reminded farmers and their advisers of the requirements that apply to the LESS action:

• Holdings must have a grassland stocking rate of less than 100kg nitrogen per hectare from grazing livestock manure prior to export of livestock manure;
• All slurry applied on the farm — produced and/or imported — must, for each year of the contract, be spread by one or a combination of band spreading, injection systems, and trailing shoe;
• Pig slurry is not eligible for payment under this action. Only slurry produced on the holding, excluding pig slurry, qualifies;
• Participants must retain, and provide if requested, documentary evidence confirming the spreading method used and the volumes spread on the holding;
• A minimum volume of 50m³ of slurry must be applied on the holding each year of the contract using one of the listed methods. DAFM noted that 1m³ equals 1,000L;
• The participant or their approved ACRES adviser must submit a completed annual slurry declaration return to DAFM on the online portal;
• Only parcels with an eligible hectare greater than 0 claimed on BISS 2026 will appear in the drop-down menu;
• Volume produced and volume imported must be entered in separate fields, and at least one field must be filled in;
• Multiple spread events on the same parcel can be input.

Record-keeping

DAFM confirmed that receipts do not need to be enclosed when completing the form. However, participants must keep the receipts with their record sheets and make them available for any inspection.

For farmers planning late spreading under the weather extension, the practical sequence is clear: register with DAFM before October 7, log every spread event with method and volume, and file the portal declaration well ahead of the November 2 cut-off to safeguard the 2026 advance payment.