News round-up from Northern Ireland

The department has reminded the local egg industry of its statutory obligations relating to free-range egg production.

A housing order due to the risk of avian influenza was lifted from Tuesday 5 May, but it is understood that most birds have remained inside since then.

A statement from DAERA points out that systems are required to provide direct access to the range, with popholes from which hens can see and “easily access” an open-air run.

In units which have recently converted to free-range, the department recognised it is possible that the range area is restricted by roads, lanes or waterways.

“Where roads or lanes must be crossed, the construction of tunnels, underpasses or overpasses for the hens will be needed,” reads the DAERA statement.

There were 926 fewer Single Applications submitted in NI by the 15 May deadline this year, DAERA has confirmed.

“DAERA received 23,224 Single Applications in 2026, compared with 24,150 at the same point in 2025,” a department spokesperson said.

The drop stems from a new historic years rule where farm businesses that had no agricultural activity in 2020 and 2021 could not claim a Farm Sustainability Payment in 2026.

Around 1,900 landowners who did not meet the historic years criteria had been notified by DAERA that they had to sell their entitlements or they would be lost.

Many of the farm businesses that did not submit an application in 2026 are likely to be landowners who had been selling silage or maintaining land with no livestock.

The remaining 1,000 or so historic years businesses most likely did not submit a single application in 2024 either, and were leasing out their entitlements each year.

Farmer owned co-op Lakeland Dairies has confirmed it is to invest £24.5m at its Ballyrashane site outside Coleraine.

Announced during a visit by Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald, the investment will focus on expanding production capacity, with significant upgrades to liquid milk packing and butter production facilities. Invest NI has offered £2.5m of funding towards the investment by the co-op.

Anyone interested in applying for a Nuffield Scholarship is invited to attend a farm walk and BBQ taking place on the farm of 2005 scholar, William Crawford, outside Beragh, Co Tyrone on Thursday 11 June.

At the event William, along with other scholars, will provide an insight into their Nuffield experiences and discuss the value it can bring to individuals and the wider agri-food industry. William and his brother Andrew milk 330 cows and have recently installed a 50-point GEA rotary parlour. The event begins at 7.15pm and is free to attend, but registration is required via Eventbrite.

A public consultation which contained a proposal to increase the cost of renewing firearms licences in NI from £98 to £250 has been withdrawn.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said the decision was made after receiving feedback from stakeholder groups and advice from civil servants.

However, the Alliance Party leader added that firearms licensing fees in NI are “heavily subsidised” from the PSNI budget and the current arrangement is “not sustainable”.

“Department officials will seek to engage with stakeholders to understand the concerns raised, explore options and develop proposals to inform a new consultation which will launch at a later date,” she said.

Over half of the extra land that become eligible for claiming payment this year is in severely disadvantaged areas (SDA), Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has said.

Responding to a question from Sinn Fein MLA Declan McAleer, Minister Muir said new land eligibility rules led to 62,800 hectares of additional land becoming eligible in NI.

This is broken down as 37,000 hectares in SDA regions, 14,400 hectares in disadvantaged areas and 11,400 hectares in lowland areas.

“These figures are subject to change as requests received from farmers to amend their maps during the single application period are processed,” Minister Muir said.

There is a “massive opportunity” for the agricultural technology sector to be developed in NI, a committee of MPs has been told.

Professor Steven Morrison from the Agri Food and Biosciences Institute said the NI agri food sector faces challenges with addressing its environmental impact.

“In those challenges the opportunities for ag tech spring out. We need new innovations and new technologies to help address those challenges,” he said.

Speaking in Westminster on Wednesday, Morrison said demand for food from local farms continues to grow and policy makers are becoming more interested in food security.

“The appetite for growth is still there and technologies can allow that growth to happen, particularly around nutrient management.

“There are technologies to make our animals and systems more efficient, and also to use products such as slurries and manures in the biogas sector,” he said.