The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) is notifying members that Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Edwin Poots, has announced that the deadline for the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme has been extended until 31 August 2022.
Being part of the scheme will be a requirement for future agriculture support payments and it is vital that zone one farmers who have been contacted, apply before the new August deadline otherwise they may not be eligible for payment from 2024.
The scheme which is being delivered by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), is being rolled out in stages using a zonal approach over the next four years and farmers from other zones will be contacted to apply at a later date.
The data retrieved from the scheme will provide farmers with vital information on soil nutrient levels for each field on their farm as well as an estimate of the amount of carbon stored in their soils, hedgerows, and trees. The UFU have been reassured by DAERA that it will not use this information from the scheme to regulate farmers and this is confirmed in the correspondence that has been sent to farmers.
Northern Ireland is setting a high global standard as the first region to establish an extensive baseline of all farms on soil nutrients, below and above ground carbon stocks. The scheme will help to improve water quality and the progression towards climate change targets adopting a science led, evidence-based approach.
To find out more about the opening of the scheme click here.
