AQW 2439/22-27

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 30/06/2022
Answered On Date: 11/07/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, pursuant to AQW 19687/17-22, to provide an update on his Department’s plans to estimate the carbon stocks stored in (i) grasslands soils; and (ii) above ground biomass, across Northern Ireland’s farmed landscape.

Answer:

In March of this year, I was pleased to launch the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS) for Northern Ireland. This is an innovative soil sampling and carbon analysis scheme.

The SNHS contains a number of elements including baselining the carbon stocks in farmed soils and above ground biomass (AGB) across Northern Ireland. The SNHS will be rolled out in stages using a zonal approach, over the next four years. My Department opened the scheme to farmers in the first (Zone 1) of four zones on 27 May 2022.

Following full roll out in year four (2026), baseline estimates of the carbon stocks in farmed soils and AGB will be available at NI level, and have been provided at farm level to participating farmers.

In addition to the SNHS, I launched a Dairy Carbon Audits programme in conjunction with the dairy companies, led by the Dairy Council Northern Ireland and CAFRE. Details of this pilot were announced at The Winter Fair in December 2021. Initial progress has been positive and I look forward to the initial findings that will inform both the dairy sector and DAERA on future policy decisions in this area.