AQW 41429/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail the percentage of farm businesses that are within Areas of Natural Constraint.
Asked by John Blair MLA on 26 February 2026
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 26 February 2026
- Answer due by
- 13 March 2026
- Answered
- 11 March 202613 days after tabling
- Priority question
- No
Answer
59.9% of farm businesses are wholly within ANCs based on fields claimed on the Single Application in 2025.
78.3% of farm businesses are partially or wholly within ANCs based on fields claimed on the Single Application in 2025.
Severely Disadvantaged Areas and Disadvantaged Areas are considered to be Areas of Natural Constraint. Lowland is outside Areas of Natural Constraint.
The table below shows the land types claimed by farm businesses on their 2025 Single Applications.
| Farm Business Land Types | Total Number of Businesses | Percentage of Businesses |
| SDA1 only | 6,582 | 27.4 |
| SDA and DA2 | 3,269 | 13.6 |
| SDA/LL3 | 465 | 1.9 |
| SDA, DA and LL | 1,243 | 5.2 |
| DA only | 4,543 | 18.9 |
| DA/LL | 2,674 | 11.2 |
| LL only | 5,206 | 21.7 |
| TOTAL | 23,982 | 100.0 |
1 Severely Disadvantaged Area, 2 Disadvantaged Area, 3 Lowland