Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir has urged farm businesses to act now and submit their Single Application before the deadline of midnight, May 15.
Applications submitted after this date will be subject to late claim penalties, although amendments to submitted claims may be made up until June 9, 2026.
The Single Application is the method for claiming any of the following schemes:
- Farm Sustainability Payment (FSP);
- Young Farmers’ Payment (YFP);
- Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS);
- Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS);
- Farm Woodland Scheme (FWS);
- Forest Expansion Scheme (Annual Premia);
- Small Woodland Grant Scheme (SWGS);
- Protein Crops Scheme.
The Single Application and Map Service also allows farmers to notify the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) of any changes to their land in 2026.
Minister Muir said: “I encourage farmers to submit their Single Applications by midnight on May 15.
“Significant funding is available for farm businesses through the Single Application which helps strengthen their resilience, protects the environment and supports long-term food production across Northern Ireland.
“This year sees the introduction of the Farm Sustainability Payment (FSP) under the Sustainable Agriculture Programme.
“FSP brings several key changes including new Farm Sustainability Standards replacing Cross-Compliance, new land eligibility rules, progressive capping and conditionalities on participation in the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme and Bovine Genetics Project.
Timely submissions
Minister Muir emphasised the importance of timely submissions.
He said: “Completing applications ahead of the deadline ensures you will avoid late claim penalties.”
Farmers can buy, sell or lease payment entitlements for 2026 up until May 15 by logging into their DAERA Online Services account.
Any entitlement transfers via lease for 2026 will be restricted to one year only.
For a farm business to retain all its entitlements under FSP, it must submit a valid FSP claim of at least 3ha and activate at least three entitlements for payment.
If these conditions are not met, there is a risk the business will lose all its entitlements.
If a business is not eligible for FSP in 2026, it must transfer all its entitlements permanently by sale or gift by May 15, 2026 or they will expire.
Scheme updates will continue to be sent via DAERA Message.
Farm businesses are advised to regularly check their email (including junk folders) or log into the DAERA customer portal to stay informed.
DAERA advises all farm business members to register for a DAERA online account through Northern Ireland Identity Assurance (NIDA) or Government Gateway, even if using an agent, so everyone can access communications.