AQO 1618/22-27 Oral question to the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for an update on progress on the roll-out of the Farming with Nature Package.
Asked by Nick Mathison MLA on 13 February 2025
- Answered
- Oral
- Answered in the Chamber
- Tabled
- 13 February 2025
- Answer due by
- 25 February 2025
- Answered
- 25 February 202512 days after tabling
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Answered in the Assembly Chamber on 25 February 2025. Extract from the Official Report (Hansard), including any supplementary questions:
Mr Muir
The Farming with Nature package is one of my top priorities. It is my ambition to scale up nature-friendly farming, with all farmers being rewarded for delivering environmental public goods alongside food production and that Farming with Nature will become an important enterprise on farms. The package will be introduced through a phased approach, with the aim of increasing the extent, quality and connectivity of habitats in the farmed landscape in and outside designated sites and priority habitat areas. I plan to launch the first phase of the package — the Farming with Nature transition scheme — later this year. It will include measures to increase the extent of habitats and connectivity on-farm. They include planting new hedgerows, farmland tree planting, creating riparian buffer strips and retention of winter stubble and multi-species winter cover crops. I plan to say more about the Farming with Nature package at the Balmoral show, which I am looking forward to, together with opening dates and future phases, subject to business cases and legislation being in place.
Mr Mathison
I thank the Minister for his answer and look forward to further announcements. The Minister will be aware of the leading work that Riverside Farm in Ballyalton, which falls within the new Strangford constituency boundaries, has been delivering through nature-friendly farming practice. Will he join me on a visit to the farm to see its excellent work at first hand?
Mr Muir
That is probably the first invite of this calendar year to make a farm visit. I am delighted to accept it, because making such visits is a highlight of the job. I look forward to taking up the invitation.
Mr McGlone
Minister, you will be aware that a significant number of farms that had done a fair bit of tree planting have been affected by ash dieback. How might the scheme help those farms to replace trees that were lost in significant numbers and at substantial cost?
Mr Muir
I am aware of that issue, because forestry sits in my Department. The Farming with Nature transition scheme, which will come out this year, is an actions-based scheme and will help with some element of the problem. The further schemes that will roll out next year will have a wider implication for it. The Forest Service also has grant schemes for tree planting. There are quite a lot of schemes to support people with that, but I am conscious of the prevalence of ash dieback, and it is obviously of concern. The Forest Service is working through that, particularly in the context of the recent storms.