The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee is
inviting farmers in England to share their experiences of
applying for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).
The SFI had a budget of £233m for this application window,
designed to pay farmers and land managers to undertake activities
that will protect and benefit the environment, support food
production and improve productivity.
Defra explained that the window for applications would be open
until the whole budget had been allocated. This occurred less
than six hours after the window opened.
In a new survey, the EFRA Committee (which is responsible for
scrutinising Defra) is seeking the experiences both of those who
were successful and unsuccessful in submitting an application
before the window closed.
You can find the survey here.
Chair of the Efra Committee, MP,
said:
At a time when DEFRA needed to build a better level of trust
with farmers, the last thing they needed was a day like last
Tuesday. So many farmers were disappointed by the SFI
application process and have been left in a place where planning
their business is more difficult than ever.
We have already heard commitments from the Secretary of State
and others to listen and to learn. This is where there is a
role for the select committee to play. We want to hear from
as many farmers and land agents as possible about what their
experiences were on the day and since then. We especially
want to hear from those who lost out about what this will mean
for how they farm the land without the assistance that they might
have received from the SFI. That real life experience will shape
the questions that we are able to put to ministers and officials
as we question them in the weeks and months to come. I know that
this is a busy time of year for many farmers, so we have kept the
survey as short and straightforward as possible. I hope
that this will allow a wide range of responses.
Notes to editors
The Committee is inviting information on topics
including:
- Which area of England respondents farm in;
- Their farm type;
- Whether they were able to submit an SFI application before
the window closed, and what prevented them from doing so if not;
- Whether they were aware of notifications when 25%, 50%, and
75% of funds had been allocated;
- If they now have to make changes to their business after
being unable to submit an application.
The deadline for completing the survey is Friday
16th October 2026, 6pm.
