Back in 2018, officials in DAERA started working in detail on new post-Brexit farm support programmes.

Seven years later, we are now at a point where the Department hopes to start delivery of a number of new schemes.

That long-time frame highlights just how difficult this process is, although none of it is helped by two separate political stalemates at Stormont, nor the inherent bureaucracy that is gradually strangling our NI civil service.

In terms of delivery of new schemes, meaningful engagement with farmers kicks off at CAFRE’s Loughry campus on Monday 24 February, followed by Greenmount the following day and CAFRE Enniskillen on Thursday 27 February.

Over the following two weeks, there will be awareness events held in Newry, Coleraine, Strabane and Ballynahinch. Each event involves presentations from CAFRE advisers, starting at 11am, 2pm or 7.30pm. One-on-one advice will be available after each presentation session.

It is important that farmers try to attend or take time to inform themselves of what lies ahead.

They also need to be prepared for plenty of acronyms and buzz words.

Sustainable Agriculture Programme (SAP)

The overall farm support policy has been given a new title of Sustainable Agriculture Programme (SAP).

Within the SAP there is the replacement for the Basic Payment Scheme, known as the Farm Sustainability Payment (FSP), while agri-environment schemes are now known as Farming with Nature (FwN). Both FSP and FwN start off in 2025 with transition schemes, ahead of a full rollout in 2026.

In addition, we are now in the second year of the Beef Carbon Reduction (BCR) scheme, while a new suckler cow measure is due to begin from 1 April 2025.

Later this year, a new Sustainable Farming Investment Scheme is due to launch, replacing grant funding provided under the Farm Business Improvement Scheme.

It is a lot of change coming at farmers in a relatively short time period and that is before even considering the roll-out of carbon benchmarking on farms, a new ruminant genetics programme and new farm standards to replace cross-compliance.