Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister Andrew Muir has provided clarity on his plans for the Farm Support and Development Programme from January 1, 2025, with further announcements due early in the New Year.
The department has said that the programme is fundamental in helping DAERA support farmers and enables it to collectively achieve environmental and climate change goals.
“It provides the right support and policies to help us move forward on a journey of change towards both economic and environmental sustainability. This will also be a key part of protecting water quality across Northern Ireland,” DAERA has stated.
Clarification of Farm Support
Further to the UK budget announcement from the UK Chancellor on October 30, 2024, the removal of earmarked status and lack of multi-year of funding from the Treasury after March 2025 has created a degree of uncertainty.
Clarifying his plans, Minister Muir said: “I understand the concerns and high level of uncertainty for our farmers at this time of unprecedented change.
“The overall budget position for agriculture, agri-environment, fisheries and rural development for the 2025/2026 year has not yet been formally confirmed as the draft budget process has not yet been completed.
“It is important that we continue on the journey of transitional change we embarked upon this year. Now more than ever, I wish to provide as much certainty as I can to farm businesses, whilst addressing the multiple challenges, such as reducing carbon, improving animal health and enhancing our environment,” he said.
Minister Muir said that as a result he has decided to introduce the new Farm Sustainability Transition Payment (FSTP) on January 1, 2025, with minimal changes, retaining the minimum claim size at 3ha and introducing the historic years exercise as part of the Farm Sustainability Payment from 2026.
“I am pleased that the Beef Carbon Reduction (BCR) Scheme is already delivering emission reductions above that projected in Year 1,” the minister continued.
“From January 2025, the second year of the BCR Scheme will commence, to continue to incentivise farm businesses to reduce the slaughter age of clean beef animals to a maximum age at slaughter of 28 months.”
Addressing the Suckler Cow Scheme, the minister said: “Subject to budget and legislation, it is also my intention to bring forward the new Suckler Cow Scheme from April 1, 2025.
“Whilst this very short delay on the opening of this scheme will have a small impact on the reduction of overall emissions, this will be mitigated by driving further uptake of the BCR Scheme and provide additional time to communicate and prepare farm businesses to avail of the Suckler Cow Scheme.
“A programme of communications will commence early next year to provide information and knowledge on how to achieve the age at first calving targets and calving interval, in order to maximise level of uptake.”
The Minister further outlined his plans for Farming with Nature which he said will support farmers and land managers to make substantial contributions to environmental improvements and sustainability.
The initial focus is on habitats on farmed land across Northern Ireland.
“I plan to launch the Farming with Nature Transition Package in Spring 2025. A number of options are planned to increase biodiversity and improve habitat connectivity including planting of new hedgerows, creating riparian buffer strips and establishing farmland trees,” Muir stated.
“Future expansion and roll out of full Farming with Nature Scheme Package will occur in early 2026.
“I hope this announcement will provide clarity and stability for farm businesses at this time. It is my intention to provide further details on my plans for the Farm Support and Development Programme early in the New Year when I will launch a full programme of communications for the year ahead,” the minister concluded.
Farm Support and Development Programme
DAERA’s Farm Support and Development Programme is being co-designed with the Northern Ireland agricultural industry and other key food and environmental stakeholders.
The overall aim is to transition to a more sustainable farming sector by seeking to implement policies and strategies that benefit Northern Ireland’s climate and environment, while supporting its economically and socially significant agriculture sector.
The Farm Support and Development Programme is currently funded from the earmarked budget for agriculture, agri-environment and wider rural economy. Funding is confirmed until March 31, 2025.
The decision has been made for funding for farming and fishing to no longer be ring-fenced and has been baselined within the Resource DEL allocation to be provided to the Northern Ireland Executive from 2025-2026.
Decisions on the levels of funding to be provided for agriculture and fisheries are now fully devolved and will be taken as part of the Executive’s Budget 2025-2026 exercise, according to DAERA.
