Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots has announced the opening of the 2021/22 Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme (NIRFP), providing support of £300k to help raise the profile of quality regional food.

Following advice from the Joint Biosecurity Centre and in the light of the most recent data, the UK Chief Medical Officers and NHS England National Medical Director agree that the UK alert level should move from level 4 to level 3.

With only a few days remaining to the 17 May deadline for submitting the 2021 Single Application, Agriculture Minister, Edwin Poots MLA is urging farmers who have not yet taken any action, to act now and submit their Single Application without delay.

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has encouraged employers to sign up for JobStart after visiting one of the first businesses to participate in the programme.

Economy Minister Diane Dodds has urged people to holiday at home this year and said this will provide a much-needed boost to Northern Ireland’s tourism industry.