Lough Neagh Partnership marks decade of environmental farming success

The Lough Neagh Partnership has completed a decade of managing Environmental Group Farm Schemes (EGFS) funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). These schemes aim to deliver positive environmental impacts for the farming community along the shores of the United Kingdom and Ireland’s largest freshwater lake.

Minister Andrew Muir commended the commitment of local farmers in adopting nature-friendly practices. To maintain momentum, farmers involved in the current schemes will be eligible to continue with assistance from the Lough Neagh Partnership.

Looking ahead, a five-year Lough Neagh Catchment Area Water Quality Programme is scheduled to run from 2027 to 2031. Funded under the Government of Ireland’s Shared Island initiative, the program will invest in ecological and on-farm measures to improve water quality through cross-border knowledge sharing and best practices.