BPS top up equated to less than 1%

A Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) top up which was issued to NI farmers in early October 2024 equated to less than 1% of the scheme budget, DAERA has said.

A Department spokesperson said the recent top-up payment came from remaining funds from the 2023-2024 BPS budget.

“The 2024-2025 earmarked budget is currently fully committed and DAERA’s expectation is that it will be fully deployed within year,” the spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Future vet school in NI not ruled out

A veterinary school in NI at some point in the future, has not been ruled out by Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir.

In May 2023, a report by the Strategic Investment Board did not endorse the proposal for a NI vet school, estimating that it would cost over £75,000 to put each student through the course.

In response to a written question from DUP MLA Michelle McIlveen, Minister Muir said the report “was only a small element” of the overall consideration for a local vet school.

“My Department will, where requested, continue to discuss with and support third level educational institutes should they seek to progress a business case for a veterinary school in NI,” he said.

Slurry separation project gets £4m

A slurry separation project has been awarded £4m from DAERA to scale up a potential solution for managing excess phosphorus on NI farms.

Dundonald-based firm BH Estates is the first company to receive funding under phase two of the Sustainable Utilisation of Livestock Slurry (SULS) programme.

“Their consortium has just taken receipt of multiple self-funded large mobile slurry separators which they will put to work on farms and AD plants to produce feedstock for renewable energy and organo-mineral fertiliser,” said Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir.