The capital grant element of the Farm Business Improvement Scheme (FBIS) will be released in two phases, with the smaller scheme (for projects up to £30,000) coming first, followed by a large capital scheme (grant up to £250,000).

At the final meeting of the Stormont agriculture committee last week before the May Assembly elections, DARD officials refused to give a definite timeline of when the schemes might actually open. In fact, they admitted that DARD had yet to actually submit a formal business case to the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) asking for the money – in total, up to £193m to fund the scheme.

Without DFP approval, nothing is certain. The best estimate is that the first phase should open this summer, with the second phase by the end of the year. That effectively means that any major capital projects won’t come until 2017.

It might also open by sector, which could extend the wait for some. According to sources, the building specifications involved are extremely high.

Also now in the mix is the John Gilliland-led expert group looking at land use in NI, which has recommended that a grant scheme be devised specifically for 1,200 intensive farms who have high soil phosphorus indices. They are effectively at risk of being shut down by proposals to ban slurry spreading on land with an index of three or above. Estimates suggest that it would take £60m (a grant of £50,000 per farm) to resolve this issue alone.

Grassland

At the meeting, DARD officials were also questioned about why there is unlikely to be any grant aid for grassland improvement (liming or reseeding). “You are missing a trick. Rather that, than some white elephant of a machine” contended committee chair, William Irwin.

“Under European Commission rules, we cannot specifically fund grants for reseeding or lime – they are seen as running costs,” explained Lorraine Lynas from DARD.