To ask the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development for a projected time frame for the implementation of the Farm Business Improvement Scheme.

The Farm Business Improvement Scheme (FBIS) will be an important part of our new Rural Development Programme 2014 to 2020 (RDP) and it will consist of a package of measures aimed at knowledge transfer, innovation, cooperation and capital investment to help support sustainable growth in the sector.

My officials are continuing to develop these schemes and are working hard toward obtaining the necessary business case approvals.

We are planning to roll out the FBIS package in a phased way. The early focus will be on making advice and support available to farmers through the knowledge transfer measures, to help them clearly identify their needs and make informed decisions about their business.

To that end, I can confirm that the first phase of the FBIS will open for applications in October. This first phase of the FBIS will establish Business Development Groups for farmers.

These groups are extremely important, as they are designed to help farmers come together with their peers, to learn about and enhance their knowledge of business management, new technologies and innovative ways of working. This new programme will assist farmers to acquire the tools to help them make the right decisions about their businesses now, and particularly before they decide to take on additional financial commitments.

In this initial phase of FBIS we are also planning to deliver Farm Family Key Skills training schemes, including farm safety and business planning.

These knowledge transfer measures will help farmers to think carefully about their business plans and will help prepare the way for the proposed Business Investment Scheme capital programme that is planned for next year.