Co Derry farmers urged to register for Soil Nutrient Health Scheme before deadline

Farmers in Co Derry are being urged to register for Zone 3 of Soil Nutrient Health Scheme before the August 31 deadline. 

Over 12,000 farm businesses in Zones 1 and 2 are already benefitting from taking part in the scheme, by receiving valuable information which helps farm businesses match slurry, fertiliser and lime applications to crop needs more accurately. This will help to increase efficiency while also reducing the farm’s environmental footprint.

A key element of the scheme is completion of the Nutrient Management Planning training offered by DAERA’s College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) which is available at: www.cafre.ac.uk/snhs-training

Participation in the SNHS will be a requirement to receive payments under future farm support schemes. This conditionality requires participation in the SNHS and completion of the CAFRE SNHS training when it is offered to farmers.

Registration for the Scheme is easy to do through the farm business Government Gateway Account: www.daera-ni.gov.uk/onlineservices Digital assistance is also available at local DAERA Direct offices or through an authorised agent. Registration closes at midnight on August 31.

Guidance and further information on the scheme including maps of the specific sampling zones and the registration portal to apply online, are available on the DAERA website at: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/node/55313. Further information is also available on the AFBI website at: https://www.afbini.gov.uk/articles/soil-nutrient-health-scheme