MPs have launched a survey of farmers' experiences of England's Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) after the scheme's second application window closed in less than six hours, Farmers Weekly reports. The cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee wants to hear from farmers who got applications in and those who did not; the survey closes at 6pm on 16 October.
Committee chairman Alistair Carmichael said Defra needed to build trust with farmers and "the last thing they needed was a day like last Tuesday". The evidence will shape questions to ministers and officials, he said.
Defra says about 12,200 applications were submitted, with an average value of roughly £20,700. Some £253m was allocated to the window after ministers added £20m, with agreements capped at £100,000 a year per business. The most popular actions were low-input grassland, hedgerow management and herbal leys. Only farmers needing assisted digital support and those blocked by technical faults who contacted the Rural Payments Agency before closure can continue their applications.
Defra plans an improved SFI for 2027 and is exploring alternatives to first come, first served. Consultancy GSC Grays warns that about 21,300 farm businesses have environmental agreements expiring by 28 February 2027, but only about 8,800 applied for SFI26. Director Robert Sullivan said land now managed for habitats and soils could return to more intensive production without continuity of funding.
Farmers who missed out can still apply for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier funding through the expression of interest process.
Photo: Lewis Clarke / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Source: Farmers Weekly
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