More than 1,700 applications have been received for the 2026 Farming with Nature Transition Scheme, according to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
Applications closed on Friday 31 July with a combined value of £12.37 million. DAERA said the total represented a 94% increase in applications compared with 2025.
Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir welcomed the response and said it showed a willingness among farm businesses across Northern Ireland to take practical action to support nature while improving sustainability.
Farm businesses are due to begin receiving email notification on the outcome of their applications in the coming weeks. Applicants have been reminded that scheme actions must not start until formal approval has been granted.
Now in its second year, the scheme forms part of DAERA's Sustainable Agriculture Programme. It allowed farmers to choose from 14 environmental actions suited to arable, livestock or mixed farm businesses, with eligible applicants able to apply for support of up to £20,000 per farm.
Applicants have applied for more than 10,000 environmental actions. These include 535km of new hedges, more than 207km of riparian buffers to protect waterways, 69 hectares of new tree planting, 758 hectares of herbal ley and 5,366 hectares of actions on arable land.
The scheme is targeted at agricultural land outside designated sites and other priority habitat and species areas. DAERA said further strands of the Farming with Nature package are being developed to support environmental action on agricultural land within designated sites and other priority areas, creating additional opportunities for farm businesses in future years.