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Successful applicants to the Small Dairy Farmer Scheme, which opened in May 2017, will get an average payment of approximately £750, DAERA has confirmed.
In total, £1.6m has been set aside for the scheme, funded from NI’s £4.1m allocation of the €350m EU Exceptional Adjustment Aid package announced in 2016.
Money spent
The money was originally intended to be spent across four measures in NI (BVD PI calf removal, pig competitiveness scheme, free soil sampling and farm business planning).
However, a low uptake of the BVD scheme, and delays in roll-out of other measures, meant that NI was in danger of not getting the money spent by the 30 September deadline, prompting the decision to extend a similar dairy scheme in England to NI.
Only farmers producing less than 1m litres annually could apply.
The rate of payment is 0.2p/l, and capped at 500,000 litres of production, making the maximum payment £1,000.
The Rural Payments Agency in England is administering the scheme on DAERA’s behalf with payments expected to be made by 19 September 2017.
BVD scheme
Meanwhile, DAERA has reminded farmers that the scheme to incentivise the removal of calves persistently infected with BVD remains open to 30 September.
Soil testing
Also, farmers successful in their registration for the Soil Sampling and Analysis Scheme should return their maps to AFBI within 14 days of the date of their notification letter.
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