The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has warned DAERA that carbon auditing must not become another mandatory condition for farm support.

If the department does proceed with a plan to link the Farm Sustainability Payment (FSP) with participation in a Carbon Footprinting Project, it would mean there are three schemes tied in with the money.

It has already been confirmed that farmers must sign up and do training in the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS) by 15 May 2027 or risk having a penalty applied to their FSP.

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A similar condition exists for cattle farmers, who must register and undertake training in the Bovine Genetics Project by May 2028.

Beyond that, it is possible that participation in the Carbon Footprinting Project, becomes a requirement in 2029.

However, the whole process has been delayed after the department was unable to award a contract published in 2024 to supply a carbon calculator for the project, due to a legal challenge after a preferred supplier was identified.

That contract sought a supplier of a carbon calculator to be used on 28,400 NI farms across a four-year period starting from 1 April 2024.

The tender notice was finally published again on 2 December 2025 and this time it is for the provision of a carbon calculator to be used on all NI farms over a four-year period starting 1 April 2026.

The supplier is required to provide the administration, delivery, support and maintenance of the carbon calculator. The total estimated value of the contract is £2.5m excluding VAT.

“Training will be provided to assist farmers to use the information received to take appropriate action to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions on their farm,” adds the DAERA document.

Concern

Despite the department pressing ahead with the project, UFU President William Irvine has highlighted a “growing concern” from members that new requirements are being introduced without a clear signal from the marketplace.

“If this is genuinely a market requirement, then that needs to be clearly articulated by processors, retailers and others in the supply chain,” he said.

He confirmed the UFU is opposed to any suggestion that carbon auditing would be a condition for future farm payments.

“Farmers are not opposed to improving sustainability. But any measures brought forward must be practical, proportionate and aligned with clear market signals and not imposed without justification,” he said.