Speaking after Assembly Question Time, David Ford said: “Nobody wants to see a re-run of this year’s application process for the Farm Maintenance Scheme. It was good to see that 9,000 farmers wanted to invest in their business, but only 1,100 will be successful, with around 8,000 missing out.
“I asked the Minister for an update on the scheme and specifically on arrangements for future tranches of grant aid. I am glad that she expressed a willingness to consult widely before next year’s tranche, and plans to seek to develop a ‘more robust mechanism’ for the future. I urge farmers to make their views known when this consultation takes place.”
ENDS