The uptake of a new flagship soil testing scheme has been much lower than expected among the farmers who are eligible for the first phase of the £45m project.

Only 35% of farms in zone one of the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS), which covers most of counties Down and Armagh, had applied by Wednesday morning.

It has led DAERA to extend the deadline from 8 July to 31 August and reiterate that participation in the scheme will be needed to claim future support payments in NI.

“It will be a requirement for farmers to have participated in the SNHS if they wish to receive payments under future support schemes from 2024, such as the new Farm Sustainability and Beef Sustainability Payments, which may be very important income streams for farms,” said Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots.

Soil nutrient status

The SNHS will give participants details of the soil nutrient status of their land, as well as an estimate of overall carbon stocks on their farm.

DAERA is also reassuring farmers that information gathered from soil testing will not be used to implement rules around slurry and fertiliser applications. “Individualised data will not be used for any enforcement purposes by officials,” Minister Poots confirmed.

The SNHS will be delivered across NI over the next four years. All farms in NI have been divided into four zones, with farmers in the southeast now eligible to apply for soil sampling, which will take place this winter.

Farms in the southwest will be sampled during the winter of 2023/24, the north-west in 2024/25 and the northeast will be the last zone covered in NI during 2025/26.

Participants will receive soil analysis results and a set of farm maps which outline nutrient levels in each field and highlight areas that could be prone to runoff into waterways.

The estimate of total farm carbon will be based on the amount of carbon stored in their soils, hedgerows, and trees.

Training

Free training on nutrient management and the role of carbon on farms will also be provided to scheme participants.

“DAERA would encourage all remaining eligible farmers in zone one to register for the SNHS before the extended closing date of 31 August 2022,” a department spokesperson said.