DAERA announces free soil sampling opportunity for Farmers in parts of Fermanagh and Tyrone

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) today announced that farmers in the Colebrook and Strule Sub Catchments (as indicated on the Annexed Map) are being offered the opportunity to avail of a free soil sampling and analysis initiative.

The Colebrooke & Strule Soil Testing and Training Initiative will be delivered by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) on behalf of DAERA.

Online registration for the scheme opens today and will close at 12 noon on Friday 17 August 2018.

The soil sampling service will provide participating farmers with detailed information on their soils, such as pH level and nutrient requirements for, Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K).  By optimising pH and applying slurry, manure and chemical fertiliser in line with crop need, farmers can maximise crop yields, increase soil fertility and increase farm profitability, while also improving environmental performance. 

Participating farmers will also receive an invitation to attend two training workshops to help understand what their soil analysis report means and how to use it effectively to plan lime, manure and chemical fertiliser applications.

There will be two components to the scheme.

• Component 1: will be aimed at farmers within the 6 sub catchments within the Colebrooke Water Bodies.
• Component 2: will be aimed at farmers within 4 Sub Catchments of the Strule Water Bodies.

To be eligible for this year’s scheme:

• You must have a DAERA Farm Business ID number
• You must be a farmer registered in Northern Ireland with fields within one of the 10 sub catchments
• You must provide the mandatory information required on the registration form

To apply, or request further details on the scheme, please visit the AFBI website.

Notes to editors: 

1. The Guidance and registration documents can be found on the AFBI website.
2. This Initiative follows on from the 2017 pilot scheme across Northern Ireland and in the Upper Bann sub catchment and are designed to test some of the recommendations made in the Sustainable Agri Land Management Strategy.  
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