Agri-environment schemes in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has two agri-environment schemes that are both still open to new applicants:

Environmentally Sensitive Areas Scheme (ESA)

Long-headed Poppy (Papaver dubium)
© Kate Still/Plantlife

ESA was the first “on farm” agri-environment scheme for Northern Ireland, introduced in 1988. For areas to be designated as “environmentally sensitive” they have to be high value in terms of landscape, wildlife habitats and heritage.

There are 5 ESA areas covering 20% of Northern Irelands land area.

Countryside Management Scheme (CMS)

The Countryside Management Scheme was introduced in 1999 to cater for those farms outside of an ESA area.

The scheme is essentially the same as the revised ESA and is a key element of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Plan.

It provides area based payments and is designed to encourage landowners and farmers to positively manage habitats, improve water quality, enhance the landscape and protect heritage by integrating good farming practice with care and protection of the environment.

Participation in the scheme is voluntary and all landowners or tenants can apply to join the scheme providing they have at least 3 hectares of agricultural land and an eligible habitat. If your land lies inside the ESA area you have to join the ESA scheme.

A minimum of one habitat other than improved/arable or unimproved grassland must be included in each ESA and CMS agreement. The other eligible habitats are:

• Species rich grassland
• Breeding wader site
• Wetlands
• Mooreland’s
• Lowland raised bogs
• Broad-leaved farm woodland
• Farm scrub
• Parkland
• Archaeological feature

The schemes are "whole farm" with all participants required to comply with good farming practice and a series of environmental prescriptions. Such prescriptions that will benefit arable plants under “arable fields managed for wildlife” in ESA and CMS area as follows:

• Retention of winter stubble
• Conversion of improved grassland to spring cereal or oilseed rape
• Planting wild bird cover on improved grassland
• Planting wild bird cover as an arable crop margin
• Establishment of conservation crop margin.