Farming Life has been informed that the new scheme will open to applications from 30 June to 29 August 2008. It is also anticipated that the Organic Farming Scheme will open from 1 September to 31 October 2008.
Part funded by the EU, a total of £219 million that has been made available for the new Countryside Management and Organic Farming Schemes. The Schemes, which are part of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, will deliver on a number of areas including biodiversity, water quality, landscape and heritage.
The Ulster Farmers Union has welcomed this initiative, citing CMS as an efficient way of putting rural development funding directly into farm businesses.
"The previous scheme was tremendously successful in allowing farmers to work more effectively with the environment," added Union spokesperson Joe McDonald.
"No doubt, both the new schemes will prove extremely popular with farmers across Northern Ireland. However, the amount of money available is fixed at just under £220 million.
"The Union remains extremely concerned that Northern Ireland remains the poor relation when it comes to the amount of rural development funding available on the island of Ireland.
"The Dublin government managed to secure a rural development programme for 2007 to 2013 backed with a funding package of £6 billion.
"The comparable figure for Northern Ireland is just over half a billion pounds. It doesn't take Albert Einstein to conclude that the local farming industry has lost out badly in this context."
There are currently 13,000 agri-environment participants in Northern Ireland, making a difference to the local countryside.
The new schemes will be an opportunity to deliver further real environmental benefit to the farming.
Under Axis II of the NI Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, the Agri-environment Measure 2.2 consists of two key elements – the new and improved Countryside Management Scheme (NICMS) and the new Organic Farming Scheme (OFS).
More information about the scheme will be available for interested landowners at a series of farm walks to be organised by DARD Countryside Management Branch throughout each county.
The scheme application process will be paperless as a means of increasing efficiency and reducing bureaucracy.