Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir has confirmed the opening date for the final "mop-up phase" of the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme.

Online registration will be open from Wednesday, August 5, to midnight on Monday, September 7, 2026.

Eligible farm businesses will receive an invite letter from Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in the coming days which will include guidance on how to register for the scheme online.

The scheme aims to test all, or the vast majority, of the 650,000 fields used for farming in Northern Ireland, in order to help farmers manage their nutrient applications.

Soil

Minister Muir said that it is encouraging that over 90% of all farm businesses in Northern Ireland have already registered for the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme.

"This groundbreaking initiative provides farmers with individualised, farm nutrient and carbon data that is incredibly useful for effective land management.

"That’s why I have decided to make one final opportunity available for remaining businesses to register for the scheme.

"Registering for the scheme and completing the associated training is a conditionality of the Farm Sustainability Payment, so I would encourage those farm businesses which haven’t already done so, to sign up for this final opportunity before the closing date of September 7, 2026," he said.

Applications

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) said the mop-up phase is opening to farm businesses in operation on or before September 8, 2025, which have not yet registered for the scheme.

Registering for the SNHS and completing associated CAFRE training is a conditionality of the Farm Sustainability Payment (FSP).

Farm businesses which have not registered for the scheme or completed the CAFRE training by May 15, 2027 will incur a 10% penalty on their 2027 FSP increasing to 15% in 2028 for continued non-compliance.

The department said there will be no further registration opportunities for the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme after September 7, 2026.