Poots hails the humble hedgerow

Environment Minister Edwin Poots has hailed the benefits of the humble farm hedge and the farmers who are planting new ones.

Environment Minister Edwin Poots visited the farm of Ivor Girvan who received funding from the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) to plant new hedgerows.

During a visit to one Co Down farm the Minister saw one example of how DAERA has invested £63million under the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) to help farmers protect the environment.

‘‘Hedgerows are an age-old and defining feature of our rural landscape. They support a wide range of our local biodiversity, while at the same time serving as stock proof boundaries and effective disease control barriers for the farming industry,” he said.

‘’In these times of climate crisis, it is now, more than ever, that we need to maintain and enhance our local hedgerows and hedgerow trees as evidence shows they act as valuable carbon stores in addition to their other benefits.’’ 

Minister Poots was speaking after a visit to Ivor Girvin’s farm in Lisburn where he saw how some of the 527 km of new hedgerows that have been planted under EFS and in previous agri-environment schemes, are helping the environment.

“I’m very proud that my Department has helped farmers to plant some 527km of new hedges under EFS - that’s almost half the distance around Northern Ireland - and I hope that they will continue to do so under the scheme when it opens in April.”

Mr Girvin, an egg producer and suckler farmer, said the hedgerows he has planted maintain an attractive local landscape and offer shelter to his animals.

“As well as delivering for biodiversity and the environment hedges offer a living, stock-proof barrier which can reduce disease. A big tree came down on the farm during the recent storms so if we don’t plant trees and hedges like our forefathers did, there won’t be any for the next generations.  Trees and hedges don’t live forever,” he said.

The Environmental Farming Scheme is a voluntary scheme with a five year agreement. It supports farmers to implement environmentally beneficial actions and works on their land to protect and enhance biodiversity and water quality, and mitigate against climate change by sequestering carbon.

There are current over 5,000 EFS agreements in place across Northern Ireland representing a current committed investment of £69million.

Notes to editors: 

1. Some 527 km of new hedgerows have been planted with further 45 km of hedges regenerated by laying and inter-planting under EFS already.
2. Planting a new hedgerow under the environmental farming scheme will enhance carbon capture, create wildlife corridors for nature, reduce soil erosion, reduce animal disease spread by reducing nose-to-nose contact, and preserve our native shrub and tree species, and traditional landscape.
3. The EFS higher level Tranche 6 will open for application from 27 April until 13 May 2022.  EFS Wider level will open for application in August 2022.  Agreements for Tranche 6 will commence on 1 January 2023.  
4. See the DAERA website at http://www.daera-ni.gov.uk for more information.
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