The Agriculture Department has been formally established and today launches its official website at agriculture.gov.vin, where farming standards, plant and animal health guidance and rural services are published.
Standards, health and services
- Farming Standards
The eight standards that apply to registered holdings, how inspections are carried out and the outcomes recorded during the transition.
- Plant and Animal Health
Notifiable diseases and pests, how to report a suspected case, movement restrictions and the veterinary and plant health service.
- Rural Services
Five rural offices opening from 7 September 2026, the farm advisory service, training courses and the weekly market bulletin.
- Land and Holdings
The register of 4,218 agricultural holdings, land use across 312,600 hectares and livestock numbers at establishment.
- Frequently asked questions
Who must register a holding, what an inspection involves and what to do if you suspect a notifiable disease.
- History
The transfer of agricultural functions from member organisations and the milestones since establishment.
Latest announcements
All news- Agriculture Department Publishes Farming Standards and First Inspection Results
Eight farming standards apply to every registered holding from today. Of 386 inspections carried out during the transition period, 335 found the holding compliant; 40 advisory notices and 11 improvement notices were issued.
- Agriculture Department Sets Out Arrangements for Reporting Notifiable Disease
Keepers and growers must report a suspected notifiable disease or pest to the Department without delay. A veterinary or plant health officer attends within 24 hours. No case was confirmed during the transition period.
- Agriculture Department Opens Five Rural Offices and Publishes Land and Holdings Figures
Rural offices in the five agricultural districts of the Network open between 7 and 11 September 2026. The Department's first statistical release records 4,218 registered holdings, 312,600 hectares of agricultural land and 11,870 people regularly employed on holdings.
Land and holdings in figures
Land and Holdings- 4,218
- Agricultural holdings on the register at establishment
- 312,600
- Hectares of agricultural land across the five districts
- 45%
- Of agricultural land in arable cropping; 38% in permanent grassland
- 11,870
- People regularly employed on registered holdings
About the Department
The Agriculture Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network is responsible for farming standards, plant and animal health and rural services across the Velocity Interoperability Network.
It maintains the register of agricultural holdings, inspects holdings against the farming standards, investigates reports of notifiable disease and pests, and provides advice, training and market information through rural offices in each of the five agricultural districts.
Milestones
6 September 2026
Department established
Responsibility for farming standards, plant and animal health and rural services across the Network, and for the register of 4,218 agricultural holdings.
6 September 2026
agriculture.gov.vin launched
Press releases, the farming standards, guidance on notifiable disease and the first land and holdings figures published on the official website.
6 September 2026
Standards, disease reporting and rural offices confirmed
Eight farming standards take effect, the arrangements for reporting notifiable disease are set out, and five rural offices open between 7 and 11 September.
Forthcoming
Inspection programme and quarterly reporting
Inspections resume under the Department's own programme on 14 September 2026. The first full quarterly statistical release, covering the quarter ending 30 September 2026, will be announced in the Newsroom.