A further investment to improve water quality in Lough Neagh needs to deliver "practical, properly funded support" for farmers on the ground.

That is the message from the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) following the announcement of the €56.7 million (£49.3 million) Lough Neagh Catchment Area Water Quality programme.

€33 million will be provided through the Shared Island Initiative, £11.5 million (€13.2 million) from Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), and €10.5 million from the Irish government’s Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The five-year programme, spanning 2027 to 2031, will involve investment in a range of ecological and on-farm measures to improve water quality and will include the transfer of knowledge and best practice between both jurisdictions.

Lough Neagh

UFU president John McLenaghan said the investment must be "shaped in partnership with farmers" and delivered in a way that supports food production as well as environmental improvement.

"Measures such as watercourse fencing, riparian margins, hedge and tree planting, improved livestock watering systems and better nutrient management can all make a real difference, but they must be properly funded and practical for farm businesses to deliver," he said.

"We welcome new funding coming into the industry and this announcement has the potential to provide meaningful support for farmers in the Lough Neagh catchment, but the detail will be critical.

"We would welcome an opportunity to meet with DAERA on how the funding will be allocated, what measures will be available, how farmers can access support and whether the programme will be designed around the realities of working farms," McLenaghan added.

The UFU has stated that farmers "cannot be expected to carry the cost of environmental delivery on their own".

"If government wants improved water quality, it must invest in the people managing the land and give them the tools, advice and financial support to make change happen," McLenaghan said.

Water quality

The UFU will also seek clarity on whether similar support could be made available to farmers outside the Lough Neagh catchment.

"While the focus of this programme appears to be Lough Neagh and connected catchments, the challenges around water quality are not confined to one area.

"Farmers in other parts of Northern Ireland are also willing to play their part, but they too will need access to comparable support if similar measures are expected of them.

"We will be engaging with DAERA on the detail of this programme to ensure it is farmer-focused, fair and capable of delivering real outcomes.

"The priority must be practical delivery, not more bureaucracy.

"Farmers want to be part of the solution, but any scheme must work with them, not against them," the UFU president said.