Thousands of farmers will receive extensions to continue
restoring nature and farming sustainably, supporting long-term
food security.
Farmers will continue to be rewarded for their vital role in
sustainable food production and nature's recovery with the offer
of one-year extensions to their Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier
agreements, Farming Minister Dame confirmed today (Wednesday 15
October).
Countryside Stewardship gives farmers and land managers the
opportunity to be paid for environmental work – such as
planting wildflower margins that boost pollinators and managing
hedgerows to create vital habitats for birds and small mammals –
alongside sustainable food production.
With agreements set to expire on 31 December this year, the
targeted, time-limited extension is being offered to ensure
farmers have the support they need to continue their vital
activities to restore nature and produce food sustainably. This
is part of our plan to give farmers long term strategic
certainty.
The one-off investment of up to £70m supports more than 5,000
farmers and reflects our commitment to working with the sector to
build a stronger, more profitable farming future. There are
currently more than 77,000 live agri-environment agreements – the
highest number in history – and half (4.3m hectares) of farmed
land in England is actively managed in these schemes.
Funding for farmers through the Environmental Land Management
schemes, which include the Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier
scheme, will increase by 150% to £2 billion by 2029, helping to
boost rural economies, strengthen domestic food production and
enhance the UK's natural environment for future generations.
Farming Minister Dame said:
We're backing farmers with the largest investment in
nature-friendly farming in history, underpinning our cast iron
commitment to food security.
This targeted extension to Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier
agreements ensures farmers have the certainty and support they
need to continue to grow their businesses, get more British food
on our plates, and help restore nature.
Plans for the Sustainable Farming Incentive are currently being
reviewed to ensure the available funding for that scheme is
distributed more efficiently and more fairly. The government will
publish information on the next iteration of the scheme in due
course.
Investing in nature through the government's Plan for Change is
central to securing Britain's future economic growth, developing
a sustainable, resilient and profitable farming sector, and
ensuring long-term food security.
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will write to eligible farmers
with details about their extension offer. The letter will contain
details of how they accept their extension and the deadline they
need to meet for it to be processed.
