Final opportunity to register for Soil Nutrient Health Scheme as deadline extended by one week
DAERA Minister Andrew Muir is urging farm businesses to take this final opportunity to register for the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme.
To help with this, the closing date for registration has been extended to midnight on Monday 8 September 2025.
The Scheme is open to all farm business in Zone 4 (Co Antrim) and any other businesses in Zones 1, 2 and 3, which have not already registered in previous years.
Minister Muir said: “I am pleased that registrations to Zone 4 of the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme are continuing to increase since it opened in June.
“However, I understand the summer months are an extremely busy time for farm businesses and therefore I am extending the deadline for online registrations by one week.
“There are over 18,600 farm businesses who are already benefitting from taking part in the Scheme, by receiving valuable information which helps farm businesses match slurry, fertiliser and lime applications to crop needs more accurately.
“This will help to increase efficiency while also reducing the farm’s environmental footprint.”
Minister Muir added: “The unique information from Soil Nutrient Health Scheme results, can be used to develop a nutrient management plan for each farm. The online training delivered by CAFRE will help farm businesses to do this.”
It is important to note that taking part in the Scheme and completing the training is planned to be a conditionality for the new Farm Sustainability Payment from January 2026.
Data collected in the SNHS will not be used for any enforcement purposes. It will be shared only with AFBI for research purposes, and with third party contractors who collect and analyse the soil samples.
Registration for the Scheme is easy to do through the farm business Government Gateway Account at:
https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/services/daera-online-services.
Digital assistance is also available at local DAERA Direct offices or through an authorised agent.
Further information is also available on the AFBI website at:
https://www.afbini.gov.uk/article/soil-nutrient-health-scheme.
• Registrations to Zone 1 of the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (County Down and parts of Counties Antrim and Armagh) opened from May to September 2022.
