Soil Nutrient Health Scheme
What do I need to do now?
Ensure that you register your fields into the SNHS once available in your area. Undertake SNHS training when it is offered to you by CAFRE.
For further information and how to join the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme visit Soil and Soil Nutrient Health Scheme - Frequently Asked Questions.
Ruminant Genetics Programme
CAFRE will provide training to support the industry to maximise the benefits of this programme.
Genetic improvement will contribute significantly to achieving the target reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The first phase of this programme will provide farmers with the data and evidence to make better informed breeding decisions to advance genetic gain in dairy and beef animals. The sheep sector also wish to increase the rate of genetic improvement. However, at this stage, the best approach for achieving this has yet to be decided.
What does this mean for me?
Advancing genetic gain in ruminant animals will help you improve overall farm productivity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce pollution potential, and deliver long-term improved animal health and welfare. In the future you will be required to provide data necessary for the Ruminant Genetics Programme as an eligibility condition of future support payments.
What do I need to do now?
Nothing at this point. Further information will be provided in due course. Check the agricultural press, this webpage or social media channels regularly for further details and updates.
Farming for Carbon
The greenhouse gas (GHG) methane accounts for 69% of the agriculture sector carbon emissions. The majority of agriculture methane emissions arise from the natural process of enteric fermentation in ruminant animals (cattle, sheep, goats). An increasing number of methane reducing feed products are becoming commercially available.
Surplus crude protein in livestock diets is excreted as nitrogenous compounds in urine and faeces. Urine and faeces combined in animal manures and slurries from housed environments give rise to emissions of ammonia and nitrous oxide, a GHG. Research indicates that scope exists to reduce crude protein levels in livestock concentrate diets which will lead to reduced ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions.
Excessive levels of phosphorus are the main cause of eutrophication in watercourses in Northern Ireland. Surplus phosphorus in livestock diets is excreted in urine and faeces. When the resulting slurry and manure from the housed environment is spread on agricultural land, a proportion of slurry and manure is subject to surface runoff to watercourses in wet weather conditions. Local research indicates that scope exists to reduce phosphorus levels in livestock concentrate diets which will lead to reduced phosphorus excretion and improved water quality.
The Dairy Demonstrator project will provide essential information to inform DAERA policy development on the future use of methane reducing feed additives and the impact of dietary changes on ammonia and phosphorous losses.
What does this mean for me?
It is intended that the Defra Dairy Demonstrator project to reduce emissions on commercial dairy farms in Northern Ireland will commence in March 2024.
What do I need to do now?
Nothing at this point. Further information will be provided in due course. Check the agricultural press, this webpage or social media channels regularly for further details and updates.
Section 19 (2) of the Climate Change (NI) Act 2022 requires the Department to develop a sectoral plan for agriculture which must contain proposals for carrying out fully funded carbon audits of farms to assess where performance improvements and savings can be made, and that as part of the carbon auditing process, carbon sequestration measures already being conducted by the sector should be calculated.
Carbon benchmarking is a process that allows farm businesses to gain an understanding of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and will be comparable across different years and between businesses, provided that the same calculation method is used.
The objective of farm carbon benchmarking is to efficiently capture data from all farms in Northern Ireland to identify where improvements in performance can be made. Data obtained from carbon benchmarking will be used to:
- Inform future policy development on carbon mitigation strategies;
- Update assumptions within the NI part of the UK GHG inventory; and,
- Inform farmers on where improvements in performance can be made.
What does this mean for me?
Completion of a Carbon benchmark of your farm will help you identify where improvements in performance can be made. Knowledge transfer activities will be available for you to participate in to help deliver these improvements.
What do I need to do now?
Nothing at this point. Further information will be provided in due course. Check the agricultural press, this webpage or social media channels regularly for further details and updates.
Farming for the Generations
A pilot programme will commence in autumn 2023.
The Northern Ireland Industry is reliant on an industry structure of an ever-increasing age profile of farmers and a reluctance regarding generational change. This ageing population is seen as a barrier to efficient and sustainable land use in the future. Younger, well-educated farmers have been shown to be more open to adopting advanced technology and environmentally friendly farming practices.
A reduction in the average age of farmers and accelerating the transition to those with relevant training and skills will provide a workforce who are more open to innovation and change and who have a longer investment horizon.
What does this mean for me?
Management of a smooth and planned transition of the management and leadership responsibility and the legal inheritance of your farm business will support resilience and its long-term sustainability. The Farming for the Generations Programme will encourage longer term planning for your farm business based on a three phased approach to include planning for succession, development of the successor and maintaining support for both generations. The Programme will also include knowledge and skills development and explore the provision of appropriate incentives.
What do I need to do now?
Nothing at this point. Further information will be provided in due course. Check the agricultural press, this webpage or social media channels regularly for further details and updates.
Knowledge and Innovation
The greatest asset that the farming industry has is its people. In helping to achieve DAERA’s vision and outcomes for the farming industry, it is important to embrace innovation and gain knowledge to take the necessary steps to make changes and maximise the benefits of Future Farm Support and Development. The Knowledge and Innovation programmes will aim to support continuous life-long learning and professional development of those working in the agriculture and horticulture industry.
What does this mean for me?
Knowledge and Innovation programmes are supported by the industry which recognises the benefits of knowledge and skills development to drive the adoption of innovation and the long-term sustainability of businesses. Those Farm businesses taking part have realised financial, environmental, and personal benefit. You can also benefit by participating in the new Knowledge Transfer and Innovation programmes.
What do I need to do now?
Continue to participate in CAFRE’s current suite of programmes and consider enrolling on the new programmes from Spring 2024. Check the agricultural press, this webpage or social media channels regularly for further details and updates.
Farming with Nature Package
The Farming with Nature (FwN) Package aims to support farmers and land managers across all land types to make substantial contributions to environmental improvements and sustainability.
FwN will focus initially on reversing the trends in nature decline through maintaining, restoring, and creating habitats that are important for species diversity and improving connectivity between habitat areas.
What does this mean for me?
The FwN Scheme will be open to all land managers with 3 ha or more of eligible agricultural land who meet the scheme requirements. This includes land under conacre and common land. In order to participate you will need to comply with new Farm Sustainability Standards and participate in the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme.
What do I need to do now?
Continue to participate in the current Higher Environmental Farming Scheme still in operation. Further information on the Farming with Nature Pilots will be available in due course. Check the agricultural press, DAERA website or social media channels regularly for further details and updates.
Beef Sustainability Package
The Beef Carbon Reduction Scheme will be introduced from January 2024. The scheme will incentivise farm businesses to reduce the slaughter ages of clean finished beef cattle. CAFRE can assist farm businesses understand the necessary changes to management practices to finish cattle at the scheme target slaughter ages.
The Beef Carbon Reduction Scheme will aim to reduce the number of older, non-breeding animals on farm by incentivising farmers to meet set targets for the age at slaughter for finished beef animals over a four-year phased implementation period. A reduction in the number of older, non-breeding animals on farm will help improve overall farm productivity while at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the farm.
|
Year of Scheme |
Maximum Age at Slaughter |
|---|---|
|
1 |
30 months |
|
2 |
28 months |
|
3 |
27 months |
|
4 |
26 months |
Farm businesses slaughtering clean finished beef animals at or below the target age for the year of the Scheme, will receive a payment for each eligible animal slaughtered.
The payment rate per eligible animal will be £75. However, there will be a phased implementation of this payment rate in the first three months of 2024. The payment rate in January 2024 will be £20 per eligible animal, in February 2024 the payment rate will be £40 and in March 2024 the payment rate will be £60. From April onwards the payment rate will be £75 per eligible animal.
What does this mean for me?
The Beef Carbon Reduction Scheme is targeted at those farm businesses that finish beef cattle. It is limited to clean beef animals, born in Northern Ireland and registered on APHIS / NIFAIS which meet the maximum age at slaughter targets set out above. At present a minimum slaughter age has not been set but this will be kept under review. There will also be no differentiation in maximum slaughter ages for bulls, steers and heifers.
There is a Northern Ireland ceiling limit of 352,000 eligible animals to ensure that the scheme is production limiting. This means that payments will be capped at 352,000 animals, per year, in total for all eligible businesses. To prevent us from exceeding this ceiling we may proportionately reduce the number of animals each farm business will receive payments for in any one year of the scheme.
To be eligible for payment an animal must have been kept within a herd associated to that farm business (on NIFAIS) for at least 60 days (continuously) within the last 100 days before the slaughter date. This will ensure the payment is received by the farm business finishing the animal.
To be eligible for participation in the Beef Carbon Reduction Scheme, a farm business must have claimed for, and be eligible for payment of the Basic Payment Scheme (in 2024), or its replacement, the new Farm Sustainability Payment (from 2025 onwards).
What do I need to do now?
Consider adjustments necessary to meet maximum age at slaughter targets.
Keep note of DAERA publications for information on the opening of the scheme for applications.
A reduction in the age that heifers first calve at and a reduction in the calving interval of suckler cows will help improve overall farm productivity while at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the farm.
Reduced age at first calving - payment will be made in respect of individual heifers that meet the age at first calving targets. The phased implementation is set out below:
|
Year of Scheme |
Maximum age at first calving |
|---|---|
|
1 |
34 months |
|
2 |
32 months |
|
3 |
30 months |
|
4 |
29 months |
Reduced calving interval - payment will be made in respect of individual cows that meet the calving interval targets. The phased implementation is set out below:
|
Year of Scheme |
Maximum age at first calving |
|---|---|
|
1 |
415 days |
|
2 |
405 days |
|
3 |
395 days |
|
4 |
385 days |
What does this mean for me?
The Suckler Cow Scheme is targeted at those farm businesses with suckler cows. Payment will be limited to those animals that give birth to live calves registered on NIFAIS and a quantitative limit will be set at individual farm level. Other conditions / requirements for the scheme, including the payment rate are being finalised and will be published when available.
What do I need to do now?
Consider adjustments necessary to meet age at first calving and/or calving interval targets. Check the agricultural press, DAERA website or social media channels regularly for details on upcoming training.
Horticulture
The Northern Ireland production horticulture sector makes an important contribution to the economy, the environment and human health. There is scope to develop this sector further and the Horticulture Measure will aim to do this over the coming years. An increase in local horticulture productivity will help improve overall agri-food sector productivity and sustainability, grow the economy, and help ensure the stability of the food supply chain by increasing local resourcing.
What does this mean for me?
Subsector Growth Groups will aim to increase productivity by providing specialist agronomy and business development professional advice to participants encouraging them to share information and explore market opportunities collectively. This will help them develop business specific growth plans to meet growth targets over a four-year implementation period.
A Growers Academy will provide the opportunity for young and new growers to attend professional development training and activities and events that will allow them to develop the knowledge and skills which they require to start a horticulture enterprise or increase their horticulture businesses’ profitability and sustainability.
An Innovation Encouragement & Support Measure will encourage growers with viable ideas to invest in new / novel systems, technology, and crops.
What do I need to do now?
Nothing at this point. Further information on the launch date and Scheme targets will be provided in due course. Check the agricultural press, this page or social media channels early next year for further details relating to the Scheme launch.
Capital Investment Measure
There are a number of challenges facing the industry, both in terms of farm productivity and environmental performance. The Capital Investment Measure will aim to reduce the environmental impact of primary production sectors, through adoption of precision technology and equipment to reduce ammonia emissions, carbon emissions, and nutrient loss. In addition, it will seek to increase the resilience of farm businesses through increased efficiency, to help deal with the volatility of input costs and labour availability.
What does this mean for me?
The Capital Investment Measure will provide your farm business with opportunities to improve performance, resilience, efficiency and sustainability by providing support for capital investment with the most potential to deliver against scheme objectives.
What do I need to do now?
Take part in the ‘Attitude to Investment’ survey, which is open to all agricultural and horticultural primary producers. For more information, visit the Capital Investment Measure page.
Farm Sustainability Payment
The Farm Sustainability Payment will provide a balance between providing a safety net which will help a farm business withstand ‘shocks’ that are beyond its ability to manage effectively and encouraging farms to be efficient, competitive and to manage risk proactively.
What does this mean for me?
The Basic Payment Scheme will continue to operate in 2024. A transitional Farm Sustainability Payment will introduce some new eligibility conditions, as outlined in the Future Agricultural Policy Decisions for Northern Ireland, such as a minimum 5 ha claim size threshold. Further conditions will be introduced in 2026.
What do I need to do now?
No other action is required as current BPS payments will continue in 2024. Further information will be provided in due course.
Supply Chain Measure
From mid-2025, a range of supply chain support schemes will be provided for new and existing groups to pursue opportunities for growth, develop products, processes and systems, as well as to address longer-term strategic supply chain challenges affecting the agri-food sector.
What does this mean for me?
As this is a collaborative measure, it is unlikely to affect individual producer businesses directly. However, DAERA would strongly encourage you to actively participate when the opportunity arises.
What do I need to do now?
Nothing at this point. Further details will be provided in due course.