Over 10,000 farmers have now applied to SFI, Defra says

More than 10,000 farmers across England have applied for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) since it opened in September, Defra has announced.

The government confirmed on Wednesday (14 February) that one-in-eight eligible farmers have now submitted an application to the post-Brexit scheme.

Earlier this year, Defra unveiled a significant upgrade to the 2024 SFI offer at the Oxford Farming Conference.

This included around 50 new actions that farmers can get paid for across a range of different farm businesses and a 10% increase in the average value of agreements.

Defra has encouraged farmers to apply for an SFI agreement now and choose from the 23 actions already on offer, rather than delay until summer when the scheme will be expanded further.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “The Sustainable Farming Incentive has something on offer for every type of farm business, so it’s pleasing to see the scheme proving popular with farmers across England.

“For those who have not yet applied, I encourage you to take a look at how the scheme could work for your business so you can join the thousands of other farmers already getting paid.”

Rural Payments Agency chief executive, Paul Caldwell urged farmers to 'not wait and get involved now'.

“We’ve worked hard to make the application process straightforward and the feedback we are getting from a majority of farmers is that they are finding it so."

Despite the news, the industry still has more questions than answers around the deliverability of new options.

And with a minimum of 50% reduction in BPS due this year, the tapering of these payments to 2027 continues to be concerning for many farmers.

NFU vice president David Exwood said he was “encouraged to see such positive engagement from the farming community with SFI”, adding that it was important for all farmers to be able to access the offer.

However, he said details behind the new SFI actions announced in January, such as support for precision farming and uplands and moorlands, and a clear timeline for the application process, were needed.

"This will provide further clarity and allow farmers and growers to put together a comprehensive agreement for their farming businesses," he added.