The Minister of the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

(DAERA) has announced a simplification of the Basic Payments Scheme that will be introduced for the 2021 scheme year.

Minister Edwin Poots confirmed his intention to remove Greening requirements with effect from 01 January 2021, after considering that they are not effective in delivering environmental benefits, coupled with the intense administrative burden to farmers.

Minister Poots said: "When we run schemes, especially one as wide ranging and important as the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), we must be sure that we are getting positive outcomes from our investment. Our analysis has indicated that Greening has not delivered any identifiable benefit for the environment in Northern Ireland, but it does bring with it a significant administrative burden.

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"Therefore, rather than persist with a failed initiative, it is much better to focus our efforts and resources on developing a set of bespoke environmental measures that will ensure the delivery of environmental outcomes tailored for Northern Ireland and which are adequately funded.

"I can confirm that I am simplifying the BPS scheme for the 2021 scheme year by discontinuing the Greening requirements relating to Crop Diversification and Ecological Focus Area, and incorporating the Greening payment into the overall BPS entitlement unit values – meaning that farmers will see no difference in the funding they receive. I will retain the ban on ploughing or conversion of Environmentally Sensitive Permanent Grassland under BPS rules.

"In the interim, it is important that we review our approach to the current direct payment schemes and implement changes wherever possible that are in keeping with the longer term direction of travel and which build on the simplifications already introduced for the 2020 Scheme Year."