Farmers and agents faced a rush to submit SFI26 applications before the available funding was fully committed
Farmers had less than six hours to secure a share of £233m in government funding before the latest Sustainable Farming Incentive window closed, triggering demands for answers over those left without support.
SFI26 Window 2 opened on Tuesday 22 September and closed later the same day after enough applications were received to allocate the entire budget.
Defra had confirmed the window was backed by £233 million and would close once the available funding was committed.
The rapid closure has drawn criticism from farming and rural organisations, with concerns focusing on the amount of funding available and the pressure placed on businesses trying to submit applications.
NFU Vice-president Robyn Munt said the speed at which the money was allocated demonstrated the scale of demand for environmental farming support.
She said: “Its closure in less than six hours shows the scale of demand there is from farmers to deliver for the environment and to invest in farm resilience.”
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) also raised concerns as applications surged during the day.
CLA deputy president Joe Evans said: “Today has been a scramble for thousands of farmers desperately trying not to be left behind.”
The CLA had warned ahead of Window 2 that demand was likely to exceed the available funding and had called for regular updates on how quickly the budget was being allocated.
The British Farming Union (BFU), a smaller farmer membership organisation established in 2022, also criticised the short application period.
It said SFI applications require planning, mapping and preparation, leaving some farmers and agents facing a race to complete submissions before the funding was exhausted.
The BFU said: “British farming cannot be treated like a race for the fastest click.”
Political criticism followed, with Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron also attacking the handling of the scheme on X. Farron is the MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale.
He said Window 2 had opened at 10am without an announcement and that the money had been exhausted by 3.48pm.
Farron also criticised the first-come, first-served system, arguing that both Conservative and Labour governments had let farmers down.
He said: “A total disaster for food security and for nature. Farmers deserve better.”
Defra had made clear before Window 2 opened that it would close once all available funding had been allocated. It also warned that applications started but not submitted before the closure could not be accepted once enough applications had been received to commit the full budget.
The £233 million available for Window 2 comprised £180 million initially allocated to the window, an additional £50 million announced by the prime minister and £3 million left unallocated from Window 1.
For the NFU, the speed at which the funding was committed reinforced warnings it had already made about the amount of money available.
Munt said: “We have warned Defra for months that the available budget would not meet demand of those farmers wanting to deliver for the environment and sustainable farming.”
She said cashflow pressures facing farmers and growers had increased the need for certainty over future support, particularly for businesses with existing environmental agreements coming to an end.
The NFU welcomed the additional funding announced before Window 2 opened but maintained that it was insufficient given the level of demand.
Munt also criticised what she described as a divide between businesses which managed to secure funding and those which missed out.
She said: “Yet again, Defra has created a position where there are the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ in the sector based purely on the speed of pressing a button.”
The BFU said it intends to raise the issue directly with Defra and wants to know how many farmers have been left without an agreement and what will happen to those who were trying to apply when the window closed.
It is also seeking an explanation of why the funding was exhausted so quickly and what steps will be taken to prevent a similar situation in future.
The BFU said: “Farms cannot survive on uncertainty. Farms cannot survive without adequate support.”
Attention is now turning to what happens to businesses unable to secure an agreement, with farming organisations seeking greater certainty over future environmental support.
Defra’s current SFI26 guidance confirms that the scheme is closed for applications.
With the entire £233 million Window 2 budget committed within hours, pressure is now on the government to explain what options remain for farm businesses left without an SFI26 agreement.