The first farmers to sign up for the new and improved Sustainable
Farming Incentive (SFI) have this week received their first
payment, Defra has confirmed (18 October).
The early payments, worth 25% of the annual value of farmers’
agreements, have been made just a month after the start of
applications.
Every farmer whose agreement started on 1 October 2023 has
received the payment which will help to improve cashflow and make
sure SFI works for their farm business.
The Sustainable Farming Incentive pays farmers in England to take
actions that support food production, farm profitability and
resilience, whilst protecting and enhancing the environment.
The SFI offer for 2023 has already received record interest from
farmers around the country, including farmers who have had
agreements under SFI 2022. There have been over 14,000
registrations of interest and almost 1,000 applications submitted
offered since the scheme started accepting applications.
From the end of this week, the majority of farmers will no longer
need to submit registrations of interest and will be able to
apply directly online, simplifying the application process. Those
farming on commons should continue to express their interest with
the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) who can support them to get ready
to apply.
Secretary of State for Food and Farming Thérèse Coffey
said:
I am delighted by the number of agreements that are already in
place for the 2023 Sustainable Farming Incentive and that farmers
are now being paid. I encourage all farmers to get involved and
see what the scheme can offer your farm business.
We are engaging with farmers and taking onboard their feedback to
continually improve the scheme, including delivering on our
commitment to introduce early payments and taking steps to
simplify the application process.
Farming Minister said:
It’s been fantastic to see the enthusiasm with which farmers have
embraced the latest SFI offer, and we are supporting them by
delivering faster payments than ever before.
SFI has something on offer for every type of farmer, and we will
be processing applications as quickly as possible to get more
payments into pockets this year and help farmers improve their
cash flow.
Paul Caldwell, Chief Executive of the Rural Payments
Agency, said:
We understand the importance of cashflow for farmers and hope the
measures we have taken will assist in making a difference at an
important time.
We are continuing to work hard on getting more and more farmers
involved in SFI.
The government will continue to make improvements to our
Environmental Land Management schemes to ensure they work best
for farmers, such as bringing forward early payments in a way
which would not have been possible under the Common Agricultural
Policy.
The 2023 offer has been expanded and made more flexible in
response to farmer feedback with over 23 paid-for actions now on
offer including improving hedgerows, nutrient management,
farmland wildlife and low input grassland. Other improvements
mean that farmers can choose what combination of actions are
right for them – unlike previously where actions were grouped
into standards.
More information on SFI 2023 can be found at: https://farming.campaign.gov.uk
