Ninety per cent ‘Zone Three’ uptake for Soil Nutrient Health Scheme

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​The Agri-food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) has confirmed registration for Zone 3 of the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS) closed at the start of September with a final registration of 138,248 fields from 5,927 farm businesses.

This figure represents 90% of fields in Zone 3 which is in line with uptake in previous zones. Zone 3 mainly covers Co Derry/Londonderry and Co Tyrone.

Soil sample collection for the £37M DAERA funded scheme managed by AFBI is due to commence in Zone 3 from November 2024 until March 2025 and this will also include a ‘mop-up’ of any remaining farms located in the preceding zones who have since registered online.

The scheme is the largest baseline soil sampling programme of its kind ever undertaken. Participation will be a requirement to receive payments under future farm support schemes. This conditionality requires that farmers participate in the SNHS and complete the CAFRE SNHS training.

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Alex Higgins, Senior Scientist at AFBI, commented: “There are currently soil sample collection routes being planned for the registered fields in Zone 3. The majority of fields will be sampled from November onward, but where early sampling has been requested AFBI's soil collection contractor, RPS Group, will prioritise those from mid-September on.

“All Zone 3 farmers will be contacted in advance of sampling by RPS Group in the coming weeks where there will be the opportunity for farmers to inform the sampling team of any fields with late slurry/manure applications. Once the fields have been sampled farmers can expect to receive their soil sample analysis results and recommendations direct from the soil analysis contractor, NRM, within four to six weeks.

“They will subsequently be provided with access to their map-based soil nutrient results and runoff risk maps through the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme Application in their DAERA Government Gateway account. Estimates of carbon in soil and above ground biomass will be made available later in 2025/26. CAFRE will be in contact after field sampling to advise on how the farmers can receive training on interpreting their soil analysis results.”

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