Just 125 agreements under England's Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) included moorland actions, Defra data show, prompting concern that the scheme is not reaching large parts of the uplands, Farmers Weekly reports. There were 52 such agreements in the first application window and 73 in the second; the Rural Payments Agency has not yet published the hectares under each action or where the agreements are.

Uplands advocate and common-land expert Professor Julia Aglionby called the uptake "pitiful", given that more than 260,000 hectares, 33 percent of England's moorland, has no Higher Level Stewardship, Uplands Entry Level Stewardship or Countryside Stewardship agreement. Those "naked" hectares were eligible for SFI26, she said, but stocking-rate rules, the exclusion of common land, a September deadline that clashed with a busy livestock auction day and limited adviser capacity put farmers off.

Robin Milton, an Exmoor hill farmer and chairman of Exmoor National Park Authority, said payment rates may also deter upland farmers: much grassland above the moorland line would suit options such as low-input grassland, but many businesses would have to cut stocking densities significantly, and "the payment rates may not compensate for the resulting loss of income".

Prof Aglionby has proposed a Universal SFI giving every farm business access to up to £230 a hectare of eligible land through a three-month application window, with unclaimed funds moved to Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier or capital grants. The 2026 scheme is now closed.

Farming minister Stephen Morgan said he was determined to work with farmers to learn lessons and shape SFI27, including alternatives to first-come, first-served applications, and Defra said it is starting a trial of Higher Tier applications for common land.

Photo: Martin Dawes / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Source: Farmers Weekly