2026 farm payment calendar: know when each payment should land

The main farm payment dates in Ireland for autumn 2026 are now clearer. ANC advances started on 16 September. DAFM has scheduled BISS, CRISS and Eco Scheme advances from 16 October, at 75%. Balances and livestock payments follow later. Your own payment still depends on scheme checks, so use this calendar alongside your MyAgFood status.

Checked 4 October 2026. DAFM's 16 September announcement confirms ANC has started and schedules the three October advances together. The latest published payments update is still dated 25 September. The table above shows those figures, with the scheme year beside each payment.

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::: official-advice-banner Payment dates can change as DAFM completes checks and announces each run. Use this calendar for planning, then confirm your own case in MyAgFood or with DAFM. :::

What are the main farm payment dates for 2026?

These farm payment dates are for cash-flow planning, not a promise that every cleared applicant is paid on the first day. DAFM continues later pay runs as cases pass validation.

What changed in August 2026?

On 21 August 2026 the Minister announced two changes in response to the prolonged dry spell.

The advance payment rate went from 70% to 75%. This covers BISS, CRISS and the Eco Scheme, and DAFM describes 75% as the maximum allowed under EU rules. On a €10,000 BISS entitlement that is €500 more in October and €500 less in December. It is the same money, earlier. Note that ANC was not named in that announcement, so do not assume the ANC advance percentage moved with it.

ACRES mowing dates were relaxed for 2026 only. Participants with grass margin actions or riparian buffer zone or strip actions, and Co-operation participants approved for field margins or riparian margins as non-productive investments, may mow those areas from 21 August rather than waiting for the normal date of 31 August 2026. DAFM put the area covered at almost 26,000 hectares.

If you are in ACRES and were holding a margin for the 31 August date, that constraint is gone for this year.

The 2026 BISS closing date was 15 May. The no-penalty amendment date was 31 May, the late application deadline was 9 June, and the preliminary-check response deadline was 23 June. A late reply or unresolved parcel issue can push a payment beyond the first run.

The FarmAI BISS hub has the main application and entitlement guides if you need to trace an area-based hold.

Which dates are confirmed and which are estimates?

The status column separates money already issued from future payment windows:

• Advance started means DAFM has announced that payments are issuing.
• Advance scheduled means DAFM has named a future start date. It does not mean every applicant is cleared.
• Planning window uses the established schedule and a previous year's confirmed run. It is not a guaranteed bank date.

The latest DAFM figures show what has been paid nationally. They cannot tell you whether your own claim is ready.

Check the scheme year as well as the payment date. The tracker still contains 2025 BISS and Eco Scheme payments. Those are not the October 2026 advances.

When is the 2025 ACRES balance paid in 2026?

DAFM started the 2025 ACRES balancing payment on 15 April 2026. More than 88% of participants were expected to receive it that week. Later claims continued weekly as they cleared checks.

ACRES uses a different rhythm from the main direct payments. DAFM describes it as:

1. An advance worth 85% of the estimated contract value in quarter four of the scheme year.
2. A balancing payment in quarter two of the following year.

That means an ACRES deposit in April 2026 relates to your 2025 scheme year. The advance for the 2026 scheme year is expected in quarter four of 2026, but the exact start date still needs a DAFM announcement.

Our dedicated ACRES payment dates guide explains the common reasons an ACRES balance is held.

If your question is how much your approved actions could pay, try the ACRES payment estimator. An estimate cannot confirm approval or a payment date.

When should BISS, CRISS and Eco Scheme money arrive?

DAFM has scheduled 75% advances under BISS, CRISS and the Eco Scheme from 16 October 2026. Its 16 September announcement names all three together.

That replaces the earlier uncertainty about whether the Eco Scheme would follow a different date. Use the current announcement, rather than a 2025 pay-run date.

BISS balancing payments commence in December. CRISS and Eco Scheme claims depend on your area-based application and the relevant checks.

ANC advances have already started. DAFM announced the first 85% payments on 16 September, with the remaining 15% scheduled from early December.

If your ANC advance has not arrived, check correspondence and outstanding evidence in MyAgFood. Later pay runs continue as cases clear.

If the first run passes without your payment, it does not automatically mean the claim has failed. It usually means the case has not cleared every required check for that run. Check MyAgFood before assuming the money is lost.

When are sheep and suckler scheme payments expected?

Livestock scheme payments usually follow completion and validation of the required actions. They do not all share one date.

For the Sheep Improvement Scheme, the 2025 advance began on 24 November 2025 at 85%. That makes late November a reasonable 2026 planning window, but DAFM has not confirmed the 2026 start date.

The 2026 National Sheep Welfare Scheme gives farmers two action-completion options. The main date is 13 October 2026. Farmers who selected 24 November were warned that payment would not issue until January 2027 at the earliest. The selected date applies to all chosen actions and cannot be changed after application.

For SCEP, the 2025 payment began on 5 December 2025. Use December as the planning window for the 2026 payment until a new announcement appears. Outstanding ICBF or DAFM documents can delay a cleared payment.

Why can a farm payment arrive late?

The most useful first check is not the bank account. It is the correspondence and scheme status in MyAgFood.

Look for:

1. A preliminary or area-monitoring query. A parcel may need a response or supporting evidence.
2. A mismatch between land and entitlements. BISS needs an eligible hectare for each entitlement used.
3. A missing annual claim or declaration. Several schemes depend on the BISS application even when the payment is separate.
4. An incomplete livestock action. Weighing, genotyping, census or welfare evidence may still be outstanding.
5. Bank details or identity checks. An old account or a change in the farm business can stop an otherwise valid payment.
6. A claim awaiting inspection. TAMS and some action-based payments only move after all checks are complete.

Use the DAFM online portal guide if you are unsure where correspondence and application status appear.

What should you do when the first pay run passes?

Take these steps in order:

1. Open MyAgFood and read every unread letter for the scheme.
2. Check whether the application shows a query, amendment or inspection.
3. Ask your advisor which specific validation is open. Get the parcel or action number.
4. Submit the requested evidence through the stated channel and keep the receipt.
5. Contact the relevant DAFM section if the portal and your advisor do not explain the hold.

Write down the date, name and answer for each call. “Still processing” is not enough if the payment is materially late. Ask which check is open and whether DAFM needs anything from you.

Frequently asked questions

When is the BISS payment date in 2026?

DAFM has scheduled the 75% BISS advance from 16 October 2026, alongside CRISS and the Eco Scheme. BISS balances commence in December. Your claim must clear checks before payment.

When is the ACRES payment date in 2026?

The 2025 ACRES balancing run began on 15 April 2026. The advance for the 2026 scheme year is due in quarter four, but its exact start date has not yet been confirmed.

When is the ANC payment date in 2026?

ANC advances started on 16 September 2026 at 85%. DAFM schedules the remaining 15% balance from early December. If your advance is missing, check your scheme status and outstanding evidence in MyAgFood.

The bottom line

ANC advances are already issuing. BISS, CRISS and Eco Scheme advances are scheduled from 16 October at 75%. Check your MyAgFood letters now, resolve any outstanding evidence and keep a receipt. Use the dated DAFM figures to see what has moved nationally, rather than assuming a payment run means your claim is cleared.