SAP New Schemes and Measures: Data Platforms
The SAP data platforms will provide information to help you to drive productivity, resilience, animal health and welfare, contribute to environmental goals and identify opportunities to reduce carbon emissions.
Soil Nutrient Health Scheme
The Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS) is a groundbreaking scheme to assist farm businesses to plan their farm nutrient management more effectively, with the long-term aim of reducing agricultural impacts on water quality. This is one of the actions included in the Lough Neagh Action Plan. The Scheme represents an investment of up to £45million in our farming sector. It has been rolling out zonally over the past four years and is now closed for applications. Participation in the scheme has provided farm businesses with important information to help manage soil nutrients and farm carbon.
What does this mean for me?
The Scheme provided free soil sampling and analysis of all fields, maps of hotspots for nutrient runoff during rainfall events, an estimate of the amount of carbon stored in soils, hedgerows and trees and access to a bespoke SNHS training programme provided by CAFRE.
The significant benefits of the Scheme can help increase farm productivity and reduce the impact of agriculture on the water environment.
Participation in the SNHS is planned to be a conditionality for the Farm Sustainability Payment from 2026. It is planned that farm businesses will be required to register for the Scheme and complete the training offered by CAFRE.
What do I need to do now?
The SNHS is now closed for applications.
SNHS on-line Nutrient Management training is available from the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE). You should complete this training as soon as possible after you receive your soil test results. Contact CAFRE at 02894 426926 or visit Soil Nutrient Health Scheme - CAFRE
For further information visit https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/topics/land-and-landscapes/soil and Soil Nutrient Health Scheme - Frequently Asked Questions
Bovine Genetics Project
The Bovine Genetics Project aims to increase the rate of genetic gain and enhance the environmental and economic performance of dairy and beef animals. It will provide farm businesses with the data and evidence to make more informed breeding decisions delivering more efficient, healthier and productive animals with lower carbon footprints. This data will be accessible through a user portal which will provide a data platform to establish baseline performance, identify opportunities for improvement, measure progress, and identify future research needs. The Project is being delivered by DAERA, in partnership with Sustainable Ruminant Genetics Ltd (SRG).
The first phase of the Project is the design and development of a data platform, to collect and analyse data from various sources, e.g. government bovine databases, meat and milk processors, and livestock markets. This data will be used to provide farm businesses with a suite of benchmarking reports detailing Key Performance Indicators both at herd and individual animal level. These reports will allow farmers to identify opportunities to improve enterprise performance and inform future breeding decisions. It is anticipated the first reports will be available for farm businesses in spring 2026.
Training will also be provided to farm businesses so that they can effectively use the information which will be made available through the Project.
What does this mean for me?
Advancing genetic gain will help you improve overall farm productivity, reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, reduce pollution potential, and deliver long-term improved animal health and welfare.
Participation in the Bovine Genetics Project is planned to be a conditionality for the Farm Sustainability Payment from 2026. It is planned that farm businesses will be required to register with the Bovine Genetics Project and complete the training offered by CAFRE.
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.
Carbon Footprinting Project
Carbon Footprinting is an important action that farmers can undertake to measure the Greenhouse Gas emissions from their farm businesses and identify where improvements can be made at farm level.
DAERA is developing a farm Carbon Footprinting Project with industry to deliver a whole farm carbon footprint to all farm businesses in Northern Ireland in a standardised and consistent way.
The Project will be an important management tool to help farm businesses drive better environmental performance and sustainable practices. It will set a baseline from which to measure and evaluate progress in reducing emissions at individual farm business and farm enterprise level and across Northern Ireland. CAFRE training will be provided to farm businesses to help identify ways to reduce emissions.
What does this mean for me?
Completion of a carbon footprint of your farm business will help you identify where reductions in GHG emissions can be made.
Participation in the Carbon Footprinting Project is planned to be a conditionality for the Farm Sustainability Payment. It is planned that farm businesses will be required to register for the Project and complete the training when offered by CAFRE.
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.