A new £9 million nature farming scheme opens for applications in Northern Ireland, offering hundreds of farmers the opportunity to benefit from funding for environmental improvements.
The Farming with Nature Landscape Projects Scheme, introduced by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), will begin accepting project proposals from 9am today (9 November).
Up to 10 large-scale projects could receive support, each potentially bringing together as many as 50 farmers and land managers to restore habitats, boost biodiversity and improve the countryside.
Applications will close at 5pm on Friday, 4 December, giving interested groups just under four weeks to submit their proposals.
Unlike conventional farm support schemes, applications must be submitted by formally constituted groups or organisations rather than individual farmers.
Eligible applicants include farmer-led groups, public bodies and environmental organisations, with each project overseen by a designated coordinator.
Agriculture and Environment Minister Andrew Muir said the initiative would encourage farmers to work together to deliver improvements across larger areas of land.
"We intend to support up to ten ambitious landscape projects across Northern Ireland," he said when announcing the scheme.
The programme forms part of Northern Ireland's wider Sustainable Agriculture Programme and aims to support environmental improvements that individual farms would struggle to achieve alone.
Participating farmers could receive annual payments of up to £1,000 for attending training and other scheme activities over five years.
An additional £500 payment will be available to those involved in monitoring environmental improvements on their land during the project delivery phase.
DAERA has proposed £4 million for project development, including administration, habitat assessments, mapping, monitoring and farmer training.
A further £5 million has been proposed for practical environmental work, including habitat creation, restoration and management across participating farms.
Final funding allocations will depend on the projects selected through the competitive application process.
To qualify, projects should generally cover at least 500 hectares of broadly connected land, although the minimum falls to 250 hectares where designated sites are included.
Smaller areas may also be considered where applicants can demonstrate clear environmental benefits.
Each project must involve at least five separate land holdings managed by different individuals, with participating farm businesses required to hold a DAERA Category 1 or 2 Farm Business Identification Number.
Farmers must also have management control of the land or obtain the necessary written consent for the duration of the project.
Successful applicants will initially enter a development phase lasting up to two years, allowing time to prepare detailed environmental plans before practical work begins.
The scheme aims to improve habitat connectivity, restore wildlife areas and support species recovery through cooperation between neighbouring farms.
Mr Muir said: "Delivering meaningful biodiversity recovery requires action at a landscape scale, recognising that many environmental challenges cannot be addressed through individual farm-level interventions alone."
He said the approach would encourage farmers, land managers and other organisations to work across boundaries to deliver lasting environmental improvements.
Projects will be assessed competitively, with DAERA considering environmental benefits, delivery arrangements and value for money.
Applicants must demonstrate how their proposals will improve biodiversity and explain the actions needed to achieve measurable results.
The scheme will also support training and knowledge-sharing to help farmers adopt environmentally sustainable land management practices.
Interested groups are encouraged to review the full eligibility criteria and application guidance before submitting their proposals.
Applications can be made through DAERA's online Farming with Nature Landscape Projects portal from 9am today, with the window closing at 5pm on 4 December.
