The Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry has urged more farmers to participate in the Rural Environment' Protection Scheme (REPS).
Mr Jimmy Deenihan, Minister of State at the Department, said that almost half of all farmers eligible for second year payments under the "vitally important" scheme had yet to apply.
Some 5,000 farmers have received notification to apply under the scheme and £1.6 million has already been paid out to 435 of them.