The rollout of payments totalling £8.96 million under the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) has commenced.

EFS agreement holders will secure payments.

Payment for claims made in 2022 commence on 17 April, with over 90% of claims paid on that day. The remaining claims will be processed, and payments issued as soon as possible following validations.

The EFS 2023 claim process opened for most agreement holders on 06 April via the DAERA Single Application and Maps Service. Some agreements are being updated to reflect changes that agreements holders have told the Department about or after inspections, and all EFS agreement holders will be able to claim by 28 April.

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EFS participants must submit a claim each year on their Single Application. Capital items such as fencing must be completed and claimed for in year 1, and the amount maintained must be also claimed in years 2 to 5.

Online training is now available for EFS Agreement Holders whose agreements started on 01 January this year. The training is compulsory and must be completed by 30 November 2023.

Those submitting a year 1 claim are reminded that a compulsory Claim Confirmation will be required in December this year. This allows EFS agreement holders to make reductions to the amount claimed on the Single Application where necessary, or to confirm that all the work claimed for in the spring has been completed.