Members of the beef and lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (FQAS) in Northern Ireland (NI) will see their annual fee increase from £95 to £105 (excluding VAT) from 1 April 2026.
The increase has been agreed by the FQAS industry board, which is made up of farmer and meat processor representatives, alongside scheme owners the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC).
The board is chaired by LMC chief executive Colin Smith, who explained that the increase is necessary due to rising operational costs.
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“Scheme reserves are now at a level where they cannot be depleted further. As such, the FQAS industry board has decided that a membership fee increase must now be applied to ensure long-term efficient running and sustainability of the scheme,” he said.
Review
The LMC has also confirmed that a full review of existing FQAS standards will be undertaken this year and this process will consider relevant recommendations outlined in a UK farm assurance review published in January 2025.
Led by former Harper Adams vice-chancellor Dr David Llewellyn, it called on assurance bodies across the UK to reduce the number of audits on farms and make the entire process simpler for scheme members.
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Members of the beef and lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (FQAS) in Northern Ireland (NI) will see their annual fee increase from £95 to £105 (excluding VAT) from 1 April 2026.
The increase has been agreed by the FQAS industry board, which is made up of farmer and meat processor representatives, alongside scheme owners the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC).
The board is chaired by LMC chief executive Colin Smith, who explained that the increase is necessary due to rising operational costs.
“Scheme reserves are now at a level where they cannot be depleted further. As such, the FQAS industry board has decided that a membership fee increase must now be applied to ensure long-term efficient running and sustainability of the scheme,” he said.
Review
The LMC has also confirmed that a full review of existing FQAS standards will be undertaken this year and this process will consider relevant recommendations outlined in a UK farm assurance review published in January 2025.
Led by former Harper Adams vice-chancellor Dr David Llewellyn, it called on assurance bodies across the UK to reduce the number of audits on farms and make the entire process simpler for scheme members.
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