AQW 588/22-27

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 26/05/2022
Answered On Date: 07/06/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the extent to which good soil health reduces flood risk.

Answer:

My department encourages and supports farmers to adopt good farming practices. With regard to soil health DAERA has supported four pilot soil sampling projects which provided the evidence to support a Northern Ireland wide Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS). I opened the first Zone of the SNHS to farmers in March 2022 and invited 6,800 farmers to apply to the free to farmer service which will provide a baseline of soil health status on their fields. Soil health status maps will provide valuable information which farmers can use to optimise production by improving soil health and LiDAR scanning will help farmers identify areas prone to overland flow during extreme weather events. The SNHS will also provide information on soil carbon stocks and in above ground biomass.

Through our Evidence & Innovation research programme in partnership with the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI) we have funded soil health projects including identifying which soil characteristics are the best indicators of soil health

in grassland and arable soils within NI.

For land where the run-off risk is high during storm events, good soil management can help mitigate the risk of flooding, for example, by ensuring that there is winter crop cover to bind soil and reduce sediment loss.

CAFRE also offer guidance to farmers on soil management to avoid flood risk and have published articles such as Improving soil and sward performance which includes advice on managing and introducing drainage systems to the farm.

Flood risk and prevention falls under the Department for Infrastructure. Flood risk management plans highlight the flood hazards and risks in the 20 most significant flood risk areas in Northern Ireland from flooding from rivers, the sea, surface water and reservoirs. The plans identify the measures that will be undertaken over the next 6 years and they set out how the relevant authorities will work together and with communities to reduce the flood risks.