Farming industry groups have welcomed confirmation by Northern Ireland's devolved government that farmers are eligible to apply for the self-employed scheme.
Economy minister Dianne Dodds confirmed that there was no restriction on farmers applying to the Self Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) as long as they met qualifying conditions.
Those entitled to the payment would qualify for a taxable grant worth 80% of their trading profits for three months and it would be capped at £2,500 a month.
HMRC will be contacting those who are eligible for the scheme in May to apply online. However, details regarding qualifying conditions and other areas of the scheme remain scarce.
The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) welcomed the news, saying it had explored the issue since the coronavirus outbreak began in a bid to get farmers 'essential support'.
Union president Ivor Ferguson said there was an initial confusion as to whether farmers were able to apply for the self-employed scheme.
"Many of our members will be relieved at this news as Covid-19 has created a lot of challenges for farm businesses and all support is welcome.
"However, the self-employed scheme is not the be all and end all as it is a short-term fix and there are qualifying conditions that farmers must meet.”
The union said it would be monitoring the scheme closely over the coming weeks as full details have yet to be released.
The UFU added it would continue to press for support for a specific agriculture package primarily for the grass based livestock sectors where the impact of the market downturn is 'most acute'.
