Flagship nature-friendly farming scheme set to reopen in June after 'months of limbo' |
The government provoked fury last March with the abrupt closure of the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), which pays farmers for “public goods” such as planting wildflower strips and managing hedgerows.
Since then, farmers have been calling for an end to the uncertainty over SFI, which is a key part of the environmental land management schemes introduced in place of EU-era agricultural subsidies as they were phased out after Brexit.
But now Defra secretary Emma Reynolds has announced reforms to make the SFI scheme "simpler, fairer, and more stable".
There will be two application windows in 2026, the first from June prioritising smaller farms and those without an existing agreement, followed by a second round from September for wider applications, she said.
"I’ve heard your frustrations," said Ms Reynolds. "The SFI scheme became too complex. The unexpected closure last year damaged trust and confidence. And too much of the available funding was being absorbed by bigger farms.
"So we’re........