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There were 443 applications submitted for the sixth tranche of the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) wider level, a DAERA spokesperson has said.
The figure is more than double the 211 applications that were received for the fifth phase of the scheme last year and is the highest intake seen since the third tranche in 2020.
Back then, over 2,000 EFS wider level applications were submitted but demand fell off in later tranches as various measures were removed from the scheme, such as single fencing along waterways.
Higher level
Although there are no plans for further tranches of EFS wider level, DAERA has confirmed that there will be another tranche of EFS higher level, which is for land in environmentally designated areas.
“Farm businesses will have an opportunity to apply for a seventh tranche of EFS higher in 2023,” a department spokesperson confirmed.
SHARING OPTIONS: