The total number of penalties applied to farm payments in NI reduced by 9% during 2025 to reach a four-year low.
DAERA inspectors recorded 846 breaches of cross compliance rules last year, which compares to 931 penalties the year previous and a record high of 978 fines seen in 2023.
As outlined in figure 1, whilst the overall number of farm penalties has started to reduce, the annual total remains well ahead of levels which were common prior to 2021.
Regulations about retention of landscape features, which cover the likes of removing hedgerows without consent, were responsible for 34% of non-compliances last year.
Rules around nitrates pollution were the cause of 25% of farm penalties and 21% of non-compliances related to issues with cattle identification.
After that, regulations on feedstuffs and food safety were responsible for 9% of cross compliance breaches and 7% of penalties were due to animal welfare rules.
Penalty size
Analysis by the Irish Farmers Journal shows that 70% of all cross compliances breaches last year led to financial penalties which were worth 3% or less of each farmer’s payment.
A breakdown of penalties shows that 12% of breaches resulted in penalties worth 5% of payments and 6% of fines were worth between 6% to 20% of payments.
An increased number of large fines were handed out last year, as 11% of penalties were worth more than 20% of each farmer’s payment, which is up from 9% in 2024.
It should also be noted that a farm can receive more than one penalty in a single year if it is found to break multiple cross compliance rules.
Overall, the figures from DAERA show there were 2,102 cross compliance inspections carried out last year.
The figure is almost identical to the 2,104 checks carried out in 2024, but remains well ahead of levels seen prior to 2021 when less than 1,500 inspections usually occurred.
Cross-compliance rules covered 13 statutory management requirements plus seven standards relating to good agricultural and environmental condition.
The final year of cross compliance was 2025, as the whole suite of rules has been replaced with seven new farm sustainability standards.
In terms of day-to-day requirements for NI farmers, there are very few changes between the old standards and the new system.
The biggest change relates to the penalty matrix which applies when rules are broken, as the old system of categorising breaches as “negligent” or “intentional” has been scrapped.
From 2026 onwards, the exact penalty that a breach attracts depends on the severity of the non-compliance and whether it is a first-time breach or a repeat offence.
Land eligibility
Another key change in 2026 is the overhaul of land eligibility rules, as virtually all farmland in NI is now eligible for claiming Farm Sustainability Payment.
The main exceptions are hard features, such as farmyards and laneways, and large blocks of woodland. Despite the rules being phased out at the end of 2025, DAERA were still required to conduct land eligibility checks on NI farms last year.
A total of 250 inspections were conducted in 2025, but only five penalties were handed out. In comparison, there were 23 penalties imposed the year before.
The total area that land eligibility penalties were calculated on last year came to 8.83 hectares and total penalties amounted to £2,487.
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