Farmers in Northern Ireland are being reminded that the deadline is approaching to apply for the Farming with Nature Transition Scheme.
The scheme forms part of the Farming with Nature Package within the Sustainable Agriculture Programme and aims to support biodiversity on farms by funding a range of environmental actions.
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has said there is now less than a fortnight to apply online for the scheme which closes at 5:00p.m on August 4, 2025.
To be eligible, applicants must have a DAERA category 1 or 2 business identification number.
Applicants cannot have a live Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) agreement, of any type, at the point of application.
Eligible applicants can apply for between £2,500 and £9,500 to undertake a range of environmental actions which aim to support biodiversity on farmland.
These measures include planting new hedges and farmland trees; creating riparian buffers; establishing multi-species winter cover crop and retaining winter stubble.
DAERA noted that items to support the implementation of these environmental actions, such as fences, are also available under the scheme.
The department said that applicants should not commence work, or purchase any associated items, until they have received a letter of acceptance.
Full details of the scheme, including technical videos, guidance sheets and payment rates, are available on the DAERA website.
