Agricultural and Farming Business Support
In April 2021, the Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots MLA announced three financial support packages would open for agricultural businesses impacted by COVID-19.
These schemes have been developed for farming and agriculture businesses who have been most affected by the drop in prices across potato, cull sow and wool markets.
The three schemes (Potato scheme, Cull Sow scheme and Wool scheme) opened for applications on Wednesday 28 July 2021.
Please see below for further information.
Within this email, we also remind you that the deadline for submitting expression of interest (EOI) forms for the Farming Business Improvement Scheme (FBIS-C) Capital Tier 2 is approaching on Friday 13 August.
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has indicated that the EOI forms may form the first stage of the application process for the scheme, therefore CavanaghKelly would encourage interest clients to submit an EOI form ahead of the deadline.
This scheme was created to combat the impact of COVID-19 on international pig meat markets that began in Spring 2020 and caused a drop in prices paid for cull cows.
The flat rate for support payments is £73 per sow.
Eligible farm businesses have been contacted by DAERA and asked to submit an online application through the DAERA online portal.
If you don’t have a Government Gateway account and access to DAERA online services, you can apply by telephone by contacting 0300 200 7848.
For further information, click here.
The application deadline is midnight on Thursday 12 August 2021.
This scheme was created to support farmers impacted COVID-19 and the drop in price of wool across international markets.
The flat rate support payments are £1.40 per ewe. Total wool losses for the 2019 and 2020 wool clips have been calculated based on information available to DAERA and divided by the total number of breeding ewes and ewe lambs/shearing put to the ram, as recorded in the 2019 Sheep Inventory.
Eligible farming businesses have been contacted by DAERA and have been asked to submit an online application through the DAERA online portal.
For further information on the scheme, click here to access the guide.
The application deadline is midnight on Thursday 12 August 2021.
This scheme has opened for applications for farmers growing potatoes for the processing supply chain, including specialist seed producers on the 2020 certified seed list grown specific varieties. Potato growers who have been unable to sell their potatoes as normal into the processing supply chain and have sold surplus tubers for livestock feed as raw material for AD plants or to a starch production facility, can claim for loss through the COVID-19 Potato Scheme.
Eligible Farm Businesses:
Those who met the eligibility criteria for the 2020 scheme (those who received a payment) are automatically eligible farm businesses for the 2021 scheme
Other growers must be able to demonstrate that they have produced and sold potatoes to the processing market in one of the last 4 years during the period 1 September to 31 July, by producing verifiable evidence
New entrants will be required to provide verifiable evidence of producing potatoes for the processing supply chain from their processor/customer to determine eligibility
For further information on eligibility criteria, click here to read the information guide.
Click here for the application form.
To apply for the scheme, a completed online application form and a DAERA inspection report must be submitted by email ahead of the midnight deadline on Wednesday 18 August 2021.
Applicants must also post or hand deliver all evidence required to apply for the scheme, including evidence of grower eligibility and evidence of financial loss for invoice based sales of potatoes sold for stock feed or to AD in the period 1 March – 31 July. All evidence must be submitted to the Agri-Food Support Branch, Dundonald House by 4pm Wednesday 25 August 2021.
Farm Business Improvement Scheme (FBIS-C)
Whilst it has not yet been confirmed that the Farm Business Improvement Scheme (FBIS-C) Capital Tier 2 will reopen for applications, The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is asking farming businesses to submit online Expression of Interest (EOI) applications, which sets out an eligible proposed capital spend project.
DAERA has indicated that should a second tranche of FBIS-C Tier 2 open for applications, the online EOI application process is the first stage in applying for the support and must be completed by 4pm on Friday 13 August by anyone who intends to make a full application.
For guidance on completing the expression of interest form, click here for an explanatory booklet.
In addition, DAERA has also created a Frequently Asked Questions resource for FBIS-C applicants, which can be found here.
Click here for the Expression of Interest form.
Stage two of the FBIS-C application process includes a full application and is separate to the EOI.
Please note that the EOI does not give farming businesses a definite commitment from DAERA to proceed with a full application for the scheme.
Additionally, applicants to the scheme must have a valid DAERA Category 1 Farm Business ID. Details on how to apply for a DAERA Farm Business ID can be found here.
Applicants to the scheme must be prepared to submit a strong, viable and sustainable business plan as part of their full application. This plan must demonstrate that applicants have taken the time to plan their investment and clearly demonstrate the difference that the proposed project could make in transforming their farm into a more sustainable and efficient business.
CavanaghKelly’s advisory department can support new and existing farming clients in the second stage of their application for the scheme, helping them to create a robust and sustainable farming business plan.
If you have any questions, please contact us.
Whilst every effort has been made by CavanaghKelly to ensure the accuracy of the information here, it cannot be guaranteed and neither CavanaghKelly nor any related entity shall have liability to any person who relies on the information herein. Information given here is for guidance only. Detailed professional advice should be taken before acting on any information contained herein. If having read the guidance here, you would like to discuss further; a member of our team would be pleased to help you.