'Model' farmers across Northern Ireland have been urged to apply to become Focus Farms within the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, by Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew.

Through the RDP, a range of farm businesses will be selected to become Focus Farms.

This coaching and mentoring scheme will introduce farmers to a series of new and emerging technologies as well as demonstrating how to take a more business orientated approach.

Focus Farmers will host farm visits and demonstrate good practice across a range of farm types.

The scheme will establish a network of up to 60 farms and promote the adoption of good production, business and environmental practice.

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The Minister said: "I am encouraging farmers to apply to the Focus Farm scheme so that they can share best practice with their neighbours and the wider farming community. The main objective of the scheme is to facilitate farmer-led learning.

"It will enable farmers to learn from the experiences of the Focus Farmers, share and solve common problems and benchmark their own business performance.

"The Focus Farms scheme also offers farmers the opportunity to develop innovative methods to improve existing farm practices.

“Visiting farmers can also benefit from direct mentoring by the Focus Farmers and explore ideas arising from the farm visit. I am encouraging all farmers to make full use of focus farms to further help improve their own farm businesses.”

This scheme is currently open for applications from those wishing to become Focus Farmers within a specific range of key areas and regions. Key areas include the Dairy, Beef, Sheep, Pigs, Arable, Commercial Horticulture, Organic, Renewable Crops, Diversification and Environmental sectors.

The Focus Farm scheme will aim to have 10,000 visitors to focus farms over the period of the programme and to train 6000 individual farmers.

(PR)