More than 1,700 applications have been submitted to the 2026 Farming with Nature Transition Scheme, seeking a combined £12.37 million for environmental work on farms across Northern Ireland.
The number of applications is 94 per cent higher than last year, when 876 applications with a total value of £5.67 million were received. Decisions are expected to be issued by email in the coming weeks after eligibility and proposed actions have been assessed.
The scheme offers support for 14 types of work, with a maximum allocation of £20,000 for an individual farm business. Applicants have been told not to begin an action until formal approval has been received, because expenditure incurred beforehand may not qualify.
Proposed work includes 535 kilometres of new or improved hedgerows and 207 kilometres of riparian buffers beside watercourses. Applications also cover 69 hectares of tree planting and 758 hectares of herbal leys.
A further 5,366 hectares has been entered for measures on arable land. The actions are intended to improve habitats, water quality, soil condition and the resilience of farm businesses while keeping land in productive agricultural use.
The application total does not mean every proposal has been approved or that the full requested sum will be paid. Each applicant will receive a decision setting out the work and funding authorised, after which approved actions can proceed under the scheme's conditions.