The first Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements for 2024 are now live as the government aims to deliver on its commitment to restore stability for the farming sector.
The expanded SFI offer initially comprises 102 actions, designed in collaboration with the agricultural sector, including over 20 new options to support more sustainable food production.
Farmers can receive payments for precision farming and agroforestry, and there is a new and expanded offer for upland farmers as well as more actions for tenants on short-term contracts.
The government also added new capital items to the existing capital offer. Farmers can now apply for funding to support buying trees for an in-field agroforestry system, or to create a moorland mapping plan to help them manage environmental features on moorland.
Farming Minister, Daniel Zeichner said: “This government recognises that food security is national security.
“We said we would provide stability for farmers and we are delivering on this commitment by confirming that the first Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements are now live.”
SFI
Zeichner said this is the first step to increase farmer confidence, as part of the government’s new deal for farmers, to boost Britain’s food security, restore nature and support rural economic growth.
“We will optimise Environmental Land Management schemes so they produce the right outcomes for all farmers – including those who have been too often ignored such as small, grassland, upland and tenanted farms.
“We will protect farmers from being undercut in trade deals, make the supply chain work more fairly, prevent shock rises in bills by switching on GB Energy and use the government’s purchasing power to back British produce.”
From July 16, there were over 65,400 live agreements across all of the government’s agri-environment schemes, the highest number of accepted agri-environment scheme agreements in history.
Previously the largest number of live agreements was 59,200 in 2010.
Farmers who want to apply can continue to contact the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) to express their interest.
Next steps for other Environmental Land Management schemes and grants will be confirmed in due course, the government said.
