Farmers in Northern Ireland began receiving £15 million of investment offers under the Sustainable Farming Investment Scheme (SFIS) on 8 October, Farmers Weekly reports. The first letters of offer are part of £40 million that the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) expects to make available to farm businesses over the next three to four years.
Successful applicants have 28 days to accept or decline through the SFIS portal; offers not accepted in time expire. Separate offers are being issued for low-emission slurry spreading equipment (LESSE) and other equipment, and farmers approved for both must accept each separately. Registered farm businesses will get a secure message through the Daera customer portal.
Agriculture minister Andrew Muir said he was encouraged by farmers' interest in investing to improve efficiency and benefit the environment, and that the high demand shows the scale of investment needed, making it important to secure funding for as many farm businesses as possible.
Farmers are also reminded that the Forest Expansion Scheme closes at 3pm on 19 October. It funds up to 100% of the cost of establishing new woodland of at least 3 hectares, with annual premiums raised from £350 to £469 per hectare for 10 years. The Small Woodland Grant Scheme reopens in late November for native woodland of 0.2 hectares or more, paying £2,925 per hectare towards establishment and £469 per hectare a year for 10 years.
Photo: Robert Ashby / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Source: Farmers Weekly
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