Inspections are now taking place across Northern Ireland for any farmer that applied for the Environmental Farming Scheme. DAERA is overseeing the process and has announced some tips and instructions to ensure a straightforward process takes place.

A DAERA spokesperson commented on the process, saying that: “Inspectors will visit a number of farm businesses in the coming months to check if they have carried out the EFS work claimed for in the single application form.

The inspection process should be straightforward and penalties avoided, if all this work has been completed to the required standard.

“These standards are clearly explained in the EFS information sheets which are available on the DAERA website. If you have trouble accessing these you should contact your local DAERA office.”

The inspector continued by saying that “farmers will be notified if they have been selected for inspection a few days before the actual visit," in order to give them " time to have other items such as field records brought up to date”.

DAERA inspection tips

  • Make sure you have claimed the correct amount on SAF
  • Check that you have completed the work to the required standard
  • EFS higher level information sheets are available here.
  • You may need to bring field records up to date.
  • Blank record sheets and examples of completed records can be printed off at the following links;

    • (i) EFS wider level

    (ii) EFS higher level