Reducing water pollution from agricultural sources: the farm nutrient management scheme

Corporate Author:

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Audit Office

Publisher:

TSO (The Stationery Office)

The Farm Nutrient Management Scheme (FNMS) provided 60% capital support, up to a maximum grant of £51,000, to farmers for investment in slurry and manure storage facilities. It was a key support measure to help farmers improve water quality and comply with the 1991 EC Nitrates Directive. DARD was responsible for administering the scheme between January 2005 and December 2009 and made total payments of £121 million to some 4,000 farmers. The scheme was originally intended to be run on a 'first come, first served basis' with a budget of £45 million, but the Department subsequently obtained approval from the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) to fund all applicants. DARD put forward the potential sale of its property at Crossnacreevy, with an initial informal valuation of £200 million with appropriate planning permission, in the context of seeking funding for the expanded FNMS scheme. In DFP's view, this potential receipt was the persuasive point and obtained Ministerial approval to provide DARD with the necessary capital cover. However, due to the absence of residential planning permission, subsequent professional advice was that the site would only produce potential market values ranging from £2.28 million to £5.87 million. Key recommendations made in this report include that the Department should: implement all EU Directives in a timely manner; establish relevant and meaningful performance measures for grant schemes; obtain accurate and up-to-date base information before the introduction of any grant scheme; take steps to obtain details of the slurry/manure storage capacity on all livestock farms in Northern Ireland

Extent	[8], 63p.	ISBN	9780337096877
Size	N/A	Price	£15.75
Format	Paperback	Published	09 Mar 2011
Availability	Colour copy: 3 - 5 days	Delivery	Delivery options and charges