Farming families in Northern Ireland can now apply for grants of up to £9,500 to create new hedgerows, plant trees and protect watercourses under the newly opened Farming with Nature Transition Scheme, launched today by Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir.
The scheme is the first funding stream to go live under DAERA’s wider Sustainable Agriculture Programme. By paying farmers to deliver habitats and improve carbon storage, the department hopes to accelerate the shift to “nature-friendly” food production while contributing to Northern Ireland’s climate and biodiversity targets.
New grants to boost on-farm biodiversity
According to DAERA, the scheme will:
- Offer payments worth up to £9,500 per farm business during 2025/26.
- Fund actions such as planting hedges and trees, creating riparian buffers, sowing multi-species winter cover crops and retaining winter stubble.
- Cover associated capital items (e.g. fencing or tree guards) needed to complete the works.
- Stay open for applications until 5 pm on Monday 4 August 2025.
Minister Muir said the package will “deliver additional habitats, protect watercourses, provide green infrastructure for nature corridors, and increase carbon sequestration.” He urged all eligible farmers to apply, describing nature restoration as a “flagship” priority for his department.
Eligibility, application process and support
To qualify, applicants must:
- Hold a DAERA Category 1 or 2 Business Identification Number.
- Not have a live agreement under the existing Environmental Farming Scheme.
Applications are digital-only and must be submitted through DAERA Online Services. Guidance videos, payment tables and technical notes are available on the DAERA website. Farmers without reliable broadband can nominate an agent to act on their behalf; the relevant forms can be downloaded from the department’s New & Future Schemes page.
For additional help, farm businesses can ring the advisory helpline on 0300 200 7848 or e-mail [email protected].
What still needs clarification
- Selection criteria: The department has not said whether the scheme is first-come-first-served or will be scored competitively against environmental value.
- Long-term funding certainty: Payments are quoted for 2025/26 only; it is unclear whether multi-year support will follow or how rates might change.
- Monitoring and verification: No detail is given on how DAERA will measure biodiversity gains, carbon sequestration or compliance on the ground.
- Interaction with existing schemes: Farmers already in the Environmental Farming Scheme are excluded for now, yet there is no information on when they might transition or stack options.
- Small-farm access: Minimum land-area thresholds, if any, are not listed, leaving uncertain whether very small holdings can participate.
Wider policy context
The move sits within a broader UK-wide shift from area-based subsidies to “public money for public goods” after Brexit. Northern Ireland’s £329 million executive-earmarked agriculture budget for 2025/26 (note 3) underpins the Sustainable Agriculture Programme, yet farm groups have previously warned that nature-based payments must dovetail with food-production viability, especially for low-margin beef and sheep enterprises.
Meanwhile, the region’s Biodiversity Strategy sets a 2030 target to halt species decline. The transition scheme may help, but it covers a narrow slice of the landscape. Research by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency indicates that only 8% of rivers currently meet “good” ecological status (NIEA, 2024), suggesting that riparian buffers alone will not fix water quality without parallel changes to slurry and fertiliser management.
In addition, farmers face the challenge of preparing for prospective carbon audits and possible emissions ceilings under the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. It would be helpful to know how today’s payments might integrate with any future carbon-credit markets or regulation.
Questions worth asking
- How will DAERA prioritise applications if demand exceeds the available budget?
- What baseline data will be collected to demonstrate real biodiversity or carbon gains after payments are made?
- Will farmers who join now be guaranteed multi-year support, or could rates drop after 2026?
- How does the scheme address the differing needs of upland versus lowland farms, particularly in designated landscapes?
- When will a pathway be offered for businesses already tied into the Environmental Farming Scheme?
Looking ahead
The Farming with Nature Transition Scheme signals a concrete step toward paying Northern Ireland’s farmers for environmental stewardship. Its real impact will depend on take-up, fair funding allocation and robust evidence that habitats created today thrive in the long term. Stakeholders will watch for later announcements on monitoring protocols, multi-year budgets and how the scheme fits into the broader Sustainable Agriculture Programme. Farmers considering an application have six weeks to gather maps, choose options and submit forms—while keeping an eye on how future policy may shape both their income and the landscape they manage.