DAERA issues EFS agreements

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has started to issue Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) agreements for schemes commencing in 2019.

More than 1,400 EFS Wider and 170 EFS Higher agreements have been issued so far into the DAERA online services portal. The remainder of the agreements will be issued over the next few weeks so it’s important to keep checking on the DAERA online services portal. Farm businesses will be notified of the availability of their agreement by letter.

It is vital that you read your EFS agreement information and accompanying information carefully to understand what you are committing to do. The accompanying information includes the relevant EFS Information Sheets for Options and capital items, the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme and, for EFS Higher only, the associated site-specific Remedial Management Plant (ssRMP). 

After reading the relevant information, you must either accept or decline your offer of an agreement by the date indicated in the letter. 

Accepting or declining your Scheme agreement must be done online either through your personal Government Gateway account or through your authorised agent. Assistance can be provided by making an appointment at your local DAERA Direct office.  

If you do not accept your EFS agreement by the date given in the letter, it may be cancelled.

If you have any questions about your EFS Higher agreement you should contact your planner in the first instance. 

For Wider queries telephone 0300 200 7842 or email: efs@daera-ni.gov.uk

Notes to editors: 

1. EFS Tranche 2 agreements commence from the 1 January 2019 and will run for five years ending on 31 December 2023.
2. Once the agreement is accepted, businesses can commence works detailed in their agreement.  It is important that all the Options and capital items required in each year are completed to the standards given in the relevant EFS Information Sheets.
3. Claims for EFS payments must be submitted on the Single Application form by 15 May 2019 and payments will commence in December 2019.
4. The department may take photographs and videos at announcements and events to publicise its work. Photographs, interviews, videos or other recordings may be issued to media organisations for publicity purposes or used in promotional material, including in publications, newspapers, magazines, other print media, on television, radio and electronic media (including social media and the internet). Photographs and videos will also be stored on the department’s internal records management system. The department will keep the photographs and recordings for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which they have been obtained. The department’s Privacy Policy is available on our website.
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6. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office on 028 9052 4619 or via email. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer on 028 9037 8110.

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