The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) says the official opening of the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme yesterday (22 March) by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots, marks a major milestone for the agriculture industry. The scheme will represent an investment of up to £45million over four years to improve the sustainability of Northern Ireland’s (NI) farming sector.
UFU president Victor Chestnutt said, “We’re delighted that the Agriculture Minster has officially launched the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme. We’re the first region to establish an extensive baseline of all farms on soil nutrients, below and above ground carbon stocks. If we measure, we can manage, and this scheme will help us to improve water quality and make more progress towards climate change targets adopting a science led, evidence-based approach.”
The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) will deliver the scheme which will see NI setting a high global standard.
“This soil testing and LiDAR scheme has the potential to revolutionise the way we manage our land and soils as a region, helping us understand more precisely what is happening on our farms. 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. Farmers will also receive specific training to assist them with using the nutrient and carbon data on their farms.
“I encourage all our members to take advantage of this new scheme which will have massive benefits for their farm business as well as delivering for the environment.”
The Soil Nutrient Health Scheme will be rolled out in stages using a zonal approach, over the next four years. Zone one farmers will receive a letter from DAERA encouraging them to join the scheme and they will be able to apply online using DAERA’s online services during May 2022. The collection of soil samples for zone one will get underway in November 2022.
To view the scheme guidance including maps of the specific sampling zones and opening times, use the following link, https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/soil-nutrient-health-scheme.
