Major overhaul of farm wages system aims to ease pressure on NI farmers

Farm pay rules in Northern Ireland are set for a major overhaul, in a move aimed at easing labour pressures and reducing costs for farm businesses.

The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) said it has secured “significant improvements” to the Agricultural Wages Order following negotiations through the Agricultural Wages Board, creating a fairer and more workable framework for the sector.

Central to the reforms is a change to overtime rules, which will now align with wider government legislation. Under the new approach, overtime rates will be agreed directly between employers and employees at farm level.

UFU representatives had argued the previous system placed complex and unusually high obligations on farm businesses compared with other industries.

They said this had discouraged farms from offering additional hours, investing in staff and, in some cases, had contributed to a decline in employment.

The changes aim to remove those barriers, giving farmers greater flexibility to manage workloads while supporting job opportunities.

Alongside this, the Agricultural Wages Board has approved a major overhaul of the grading structure for agricultural workers. The revised grading system introduces clearer, less technical role definitions, making it easier for employers and workers to understand job classifications.

It also sets out more defined progression between roles, giving workers a clearer pathway for development and pay progression within the industry.

The UFU said the reforms come at a critical time, as farm businesses continue to face mounting economic and labour pressures, and are designed to ensure agricultural employment remains both fair and sustainable.

Crosby Cleland, UFU lead on the Board, said: “Since the pandemic, we have witnessed a downward trend of employed farm workers on farms in Northern Ireland, caused in part by the unfairly high standards farmers are expected to adhere to compared to other industries.”

He said the changes are “vital for the future of farm employment”, adding that while farmers want to provide good opportunities for workers, the system must also reflect “economic realities on farms as it would with any other business”.

Cleland said aligning overtime rules with wider legislation, alongside a clearer grading structure, would create “a system that works better for both farmers and farm workers today and for the future”.

The new measures are due to come into force in April 2026, with the UFU maintaining its long-standing position that the Agricultural Wages Board should ultimately be abolished.