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The wider level of the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) opens to applications from Monday 19 August, with successful applicants offered a five-year scheme agreement starting from 1 January 2020.
Farmers have until 20 September to apply for the scheme, which is the third tranche opened by DAERA. A final tranche is due in 2020.
Applications to the EFS must be made via DAERA online services. Anyone requiring assistance with accessing online services should contact a local DAERA direct office on 0300-200-7848, or 0300-200-7840.
Meanwhile, Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) environment chair Wilbert Mayne has encouraged farmers to consider the scheme, but advised potential applicants to carefully weigh up the various options, and not to over-commit themselves in the work to be done.
He also called on DAERA to re-consider the requirement that means farmers have to undertake all capital works in year one, and for the removal of the cap based on land area.
“Farmers were led to believe that they would be eligible for the maximum grant amount regardless of farm size. However, on application the limits were usually much lower with only extremely large farms able to receive the maximum grant,” he said.
SHARING OPTIONS: