DAERA Minister Andrew Muir visited Hugh Harbison's dairy farm in Aghadowey to observe farmer-led innovation partnerships aimed at cutting farm emissions while maintaining productivity and profitability.

The visit focused on collaboration among farmers, agri-food industry experts, and researchers. Minister Muir examined results from the DAERA-funded Accelerating Ruminant Carbon to Net Zero project, part of the NI Rural Development Programme.

The ARC Zero project measures and manages carbon flows at the farm level. It provides farmers with data to implement changes for lower carbon farming.

Minister Muir noted that climate action supports economic opportunities, cleaner air, healthier communities, and resilient ecosystems. He commended participants in ARC Zero for developing on-farm solutions across farming systems.

He stated that such projects align environmental sustainability with profitable food production. Farmers can use science, data, and evidence to produce nutritious food efficiently while improving environmental results.

Minister Muir announced the opening of a new round of Innovation Partnerships under the Sustainable Agriculture Programme. These partnerships fund farmer-led innovation and collaboration in the Northern Ireland agri-food sector.

He encouraged farmer groups, industry partners, and researchers to apply for the partnerships to address shared challenges, test new methods, share knowledge, and enhance farm resilience and sustainability.