AQW 20949/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail the number of Environmental Farming Scheme wider level agreements that have ended since this level was withdrawn in 2023.
Asked by John Blair MLA on 21 January 2025
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 21 January 2025
- Answer due by
- 5 February 2025
- Answered
- 31 January 202510 days after tabling
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Since 2017, 4,420 businesses entered into Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS), Wider Agreements across six Tranches. The last EFS Wider Agreements, Tranche 6, began in January 2023 and are due to complete in December 2027.
The number of EFS Wider Agreements in each Tranche are detailed in the following table:
| EFS Wider Tranche | Start Date | Completion Date | Number of Agreements |
| 1 | 03 Jul 2017 | 31 Dec 2022 | 912 |
| 2 | 01 Jan 2019 | 31 Dec 2023 | 1,310 |
| 3 | 01 Jan 2020 | 31 Dec 2024 | 1,494 |
| 4 | 01 Jan 2021 | 31 Dec 2025 | 256 |
| 5 | 01 Jan 2022 | 31 Dec 2026 | 124 |
| 6 | 01 Jan 2023 | 31 Dec 2027 | 324 |
| Total | 4,420 |
Since January 2023, 2,804 EFS Wider Agreements have come to an end (Tranche 2 and 3 agreements). In addition, 912 Tranche 1 agreements ended prior to 2023. Therefore, a total of 3,716 farm businesses have completed their 5-year EFS Wider agreements.