The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has released a new report detailing why many farmers and landowners in Northern Ireland are reluctant to take part in peatland restoration projects.

The report, titled ‘Barriers to Uptake of Peatland Restoration for Farmers and Landowners’, draws on feedback gathered across the agricultural community. It finds that uncertainty about future policy direction, short-term funding arrangements, and a lack of trust between government and land managers are the main obstacles.

Farmers told the UFU that current funding cycles do not match the long-term nature of peatland management, leading to concerns about whether restoration work would be worthwhile over time. They expressed fears that policy targets could change, leaving their farm businesses exposed if they had committed to restoration.

The report also highlights dissatisfaction with the language used to classify land. Some farmers described the term “unfavourable” as misleading, arguing that past decisions were made in response to market demands and government policy rather than poor stewardship.

Contributors to the report said they were willing to engage with peatland restoration if they had the right support and confidence in the schemes. The findings echo points raised at the IUCN Peatland Programme Conference in Swansea, where Sperrins hill farmer John Wauchob talked about the pressures of farming in protected peatland areas and the need for a collaborative approach that values longstanding farming knowledge.

The UFU says the research highlights the importance of future schemes being designed to run alongside viable farm businesses. It calls for further work on building farmer confidence and securing funding that reflects the lengthy commitments required.