CAFRE launch options for completion of the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme Training

Last year it was announced that participation in the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS) is to be a condition for the receipt of the new Farm Sustainability and Farming with Nature Payments, the replacements for Single Farm Payment and Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS).

Farmers at recent on farm awareness events were keen to take part in the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme training to help them better understand their results.

This requires both registering for SNHS and completion of the training being offered by CAFRE. Failure to complete both elements may affect your future payments.  The CAFRE SNHS training is available to all farm businesses online, via the CAFRE website. To assist farmers CAFRE have also organised the first of a series of training sessions in local venues to allow you to attend this training in person if you are unable to complete the training online.

The CAFRE SNHS training is split into 2 parts, Session 1 Understanding Nutrient Management and Session 2 Completing a Nutrient Management Plan.  This training will help you to understand and interpret your SNHS soil analysis report provided through the scheme and show you how to access your results on the online SNHS map viewer. It will demonstrate how creating a nutrient management plan can help you make best use of organic manures and plan chemical fertiliser applications to maximise grass production, comply with regulations and protect the environment. Completing this training will be essential to secure your payments in future years.

If you have received your SNHS soil analysis results or wish to join the training ahead of receiving your results, there are now three options to access the CAFRE SNHS training:

Option 1: Online training, simply logon to the CAFRE website or scan the QR code to commence training.

Option 2: For assistance accessing the online training, contact your local DAERA Direct office on 0300 200 7840 to make an appointment.

Option 3: If you prefer to attend a training session held in a local venue, the first of a series of training sessions will commence on Wednesday 6^th December in the Millbrook Lodge Hotel, Ballynahinch, BT24 8LS and on Thursday 7^th December in Maginns Bar, Castlewellan, BT31 9DF.

To register for these events, go to the CAFRE website, follow the ‘Soil Nutrient Health Scheme Training’ button on the CAFRE homepage or contact Countryside Services Ltd 028 8778 9770.  Further dates will be available in due course, across SNHS Zone 1 & 2 (Co Down, Armagh, Fermanagh and South Tyrone) and will appear on the CAFRE website for booking.

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