The first phase of the new agri environment scheme in NI, known as Farming With Nature (FWN), is open for online applications until 4 August 2025.

Successful applicants need to complete the work and submit a payment claim by the end of March, with payments then issued in the summer of 2026.

The scheme has some differences to the previous Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS), including payment rates and the specification of measures on offer.

In general, DAERA has built more flexibility into FWN when compared with the previous EFS offering.

For example, the specification for fences under FWN is a lot less strict than it was in EFS.

Similarly, unlike EFS, the measure for planting new hedgerows under FWN does not require two new fences to be erected, although the option to do that is still available.

Another element of flexibility is that successful applicants do not have to complete all the measures that they initially applied for.

This is because payment claims made in March 2026 can be for less than what applications stated in summer 2025.

While payment rates for most measures under FWN are higher than EFS, the department states that payments are still designed to “cover the costs of actions”.

This means most farmers will probably not have much FWN money left over when everything is paid for, especially if a contractor is used for carrying out the work.

The first phase of FWN is only for land which is not an environmentally designated site, so it is effectively a follow on to EFS wider level.

As outlined below, there are five key measures in the first year of the scheme. There are also an additional four supporting items which can be available with certain measures, including fencing and gates.

DAERA says that more measures will be added to future phases of FWN and successful applicants in the first phase will be able to join the scheme in future years too.

Scheme participants can receive up to £9,500 during the 2025-2026 scheme year and the minimum claim is £2,500.

All land covered by FWN measures remains eligible to claim the area-based Farm Sustainability Payment.

A catch for those interested in agri environment schemes is that anyone with an active EFS agreement cannot join the first phase of FWN.

Analysis by the Irish Farmers Journal indicates there are around 4,500 ongoing EFS agreements at present.

It remains unclear if EFS participants will be able to apply for subsequent FWN tranches, or if they will have to wait until their EFS agreement expires.

Planting new hedgerows

A payment of £6.49/m is available for planting new hedgerows under FWN. If new fencing is also required, then it is applied for separately as a supporting item (£6.52/m).

This gives more flexibility than the previous EFS offering and means double fencing does not need to be carried out if it isn’t necessary, or if an existing fence does not need to be replaced.

New hedgerows cannot be planted where a hedgerow currently exists or under the shade of a treeline.

Scheme participants must plant one or more species of native hedge plants with an average of six plants per metre.

There is no requirement to include trees in the hedgerow, although it is recommended.

All work under this measure must be completed by 31 March 2026.

Creating riparian buffers strips

There are two options for creating riparian buffer strips along watercourses. Where a fence is erected 2m from the edge of a watercourse, a payment of £1.41/m is available.

For watercourses that are designated by the drainage council, there is the option of a wider 7m buffer strip where £4.93/m is payable.

Under these two options, it is mandatory to apply for the supporting item for new fencing (£6.52/m).

In effect, it means the 2m buffer strip with new fence brings a payment of £7.93/m and the 7m option equates to £11.45/m.

Under the 7m option, it is also a requirement to install a gate every 150m to allow access for maintenance. This is available as an optional extra with the 2m buffer strip.

A payment of £310.29 is allowed for each gate and pair of posts from the supporting items list.

Both the 2m and 7m buffer strip measure also have the option of installing a water drinker or pasture pump.

In the supporting items list, a payment of £169.70 is available for a drinker and base, with £239.06 for a pasture pump.

Retention of winter stubble

An option for arable farmers is the retention of winter stubble measure, where a payment of £93/ha is available.

This can be done after a spring- or autumn-sown cereal, oilseed rape, protein crop or linseed. It cannot be completed after maize or under-sown crops or in permanent grassland-sensitive areas.

When carrying out this measure, winter stubble must be retained across the whole field until 15 February. At the previous harvest, the straw can be either removed as bales or chopped.

It is not permitted to graze livestock or apply inorganic fertiliser on the stubble ground over the winter.

Multispecies winter cover crop

The FWN option for multispecies winter cover crop is a new measure which is being offered for the first time under a NI agri environment scheme.

A payment rate of £225/hectare is available for establishing a cover crop across a whole arable field and retaining it until 15 February.

The seed mix must contain at least two species from two of the following plant families:

  • Brassicas, such as forage rape or stubble turnips.
  • Legumes, such as clovers or vetch.
  • Cereals/grasses, such as forage rye or Italian ryegrass.
  • Herbs, such as buckwheat or linseed.

    • Organic manure can be applied, either pre-sowing or soon after establishment. It should not be applied too late when field traffic could damage the crop.

    Inorganic fertiliser applications are not permitted, and livestock should not be grazed on the crop until 15 February.

    Other possible methods of cover crop destruction include mulching, cultivation and chemical applications.

    Farmland tree planting

    The option of farmland tree planting under FWN allows trees to be established in plots down to a minimum size of 0.05 hectares, or 500 square metres.

    Under the new FWN option, one or more native tree species must be planted at 2.5m spacing, which equates to 1,600 trees per hectare.

    The payment rate for tree planting under FWN is £6,756/ha.

    A guard and stake must be used for each tree and livestock must be excluded from new woodland.

    The work must be completed by 31 March 2026 and the plot must be maintained, including removing grasses and weeds from within tree guards.

    It is a scheme requirement to retain the planted trees for at least 20 years.

    The fencing and gate options from the supporting items list are also available for this measure.

    For comparison, the previous Small Woodland Grant Scheme had a bigger minimum plot size of 0.2 hectares.

    It paid an establishment grant plus 10 annual payments, which when taken together equated to £6,425/ha.