Northern Ireland Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, has welcomed the passing of new farm sustainability standards, which will apply to a range of agricultural support schemes.

Farm Sustainability Standards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025, effective from January 1, 2026, establish a legal framework for agricultural compliance and environmental stewardship across Northern Ireland.

Minister Muir said: “The new Farm Sustainability Standards…are an integral part of the wider rollout of the new £300 million-plus Sustainable Agriculture Programme.

“The new standards are a modern, simpler, robust and proportionate standards regime covering environmental, public and animal health and welfare issues in Northern Ireland recognising that the vast majority of farmers care deeply for their livestock and seek to protect and look after the environment for future generations.

“The new standards replace the complex Cross Compliance arrangements with opportunity built in to make any necessary adjustments following a review of their operation and impact once up and running.

“This legislation places farm sustainability standards at the heart of our agricultural policy, establishing a new baseline for environmental, animal welfare, and biosecurity requirements.”

‘Supporting farmers’

Minister Muir said there will be support for farmers in as the new standards come into effect.

"My department is committed to supporting farmers through the transition from Cross-Compliance to the new Farm Sustainability Standards, ensuring that future support schemes are built on a foundation of responsible stewardship," he said.

"The new penalty regime developed in close collaboration with agricultural stakeholders recognises the importance of education and understanding. Our goal is to help farmers meet these standards. 

"Together, we are laying the groundwork for a thriving, resilient and sustainable agri-food sector that supports family farms and benefits our communities, our climate and our economy.”

Support schemes

The new Farm Sustainability Standards will apply to a range of agricultural support schemes, including: the Farm Sustainability Payment Scheme, Protein Crop Scheme, Farming with Nature Package, Environmental Farming Scheme, Beef Carbon Reduction Scheme, and Suckler Cow Scheme.

Key Features of the Farm Sustainability Standards include:

Simplified compliance framework replacing previous SMRs and GAECs;
Seven specific areas covering water protection, biodiversity, landscape and heritage, soil protection, food and feed safety, animal welfare, and livestock traceability;
The introduction of education and guidance into the FSS penalty arrangements to ensure compliance; 
Development of a penalty matrix which is more proportionate, fairer and easier to understand, which reflects the severity of the impact of any breach in standard;
Updated penalty regime, with minimum penalties including warning letters and mandatory training, and maximum penalties of payment loss and exclusion from schemes.

Farm Sustainability Standard breaches will range from 'very low' to 'very high' severity. 

Business on their first very low severity breach will receive a warning letter, a low severity breach would result in a 1% or £50 penalty (whichever is higher), and a guidance letter explaining the breach. 

Penalties continue upward in stages to a 'very high' severity breach which would receive a 50%/£2,100 penalty (whichever is higher) and a guidance letter. 

All businesses with a breach also have to complete training about the standard they have breached. 

Penalties increase if the business breaches the same requirement within three years.