Demand has been “strong” so far for training under the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS), according to the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
A key part of the scheme is the completion of training to utilise the information provided in soil analysis reports.
This training was developed by the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) to help farmers understand and interpret their SNHS soil analysis report, make best use of organic manures, and learn how to create a nutrient management plan.
The training can be completed online through the CAFRE website, however for those who do not have access to online training or do not feel confident in its use, a limited number of face-to-face training sessions are being provided.
This will involve viewing the training videos in a theatre, and the training is being delivered by Countryside Services Ltd.
There are optional locations and dates for these training sessions held between 1:00p.m to 5:00p.m, which can be seen below:
- Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh: Wednesday, January 22 in the Ardhowen Theatre;
- Craigavon, Co. Armagh: Thursday, January 30 in the Civic Centre;
- Cookstown, Co. Tyrone: Monday, February 10 in the Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre;
- Downpatrick, Co. Down: Wednesday, February 19 in the St. Patrick’s Centre.
Rural services contract manager at Countryside Services Ltd, Dr. Andrew Kerr said: “Following the success of the events held to date we have experienced a surge in interest from farmers wishing to attend the face-to-face training courses.
“Farmers recognise that completing the training could be necessary to receive payments under future farm support schemes and have demonstrated an appetite to attend the face-to-face training events. To cater for demand we are pleased to release a further four additional training dates.”
All in-person events require pre-registration, along with photographic ID, according to DAERA. Places can be booked online of through telephone for the Countryside Services: 028 8778 9770.
