NFU warns Defra to get 'policy right, and soon' after SFI launch delay

The NFU has slammed the delay of the Sustainable Farming Incentive's (SFI) roll out as 'unacceptable', with the union urging Defra to get 'policy right, and soon'.

Defra recently announced that the launch of SFI won't be until mid-September following assurances that the scheme would be ready for August 2023.

Farmers can now express their interest in the post-Brexit scheme and will be able to apply from 18 September, it was announced.

It means that the SFI's earliest adopters will not see money land in their accounts until January 2024.

The NFU said the “unacceptable” delay fell short of one of the key tests for the scheme’s delivery.

The later-than-expected timeline comes following problems for those applying for the Countryside Stewardship scheme’s Mid Tier, with applicants seeing the deadline pushed back by four weeks owing to application delays and IT glitches.

Responding to the delays, NFU vice president, David Exwood said that "for the sake of British food and farming, Defra has to get the SFI policy right, and soon."

“This timeline is much later than farmers were led to expect," he warned, "As a result, most will not receive any SFI payments this year, one of the key tests for delivery of the scheme.

“Against a backdrop of continuing huge economic challenges, a 50% reduction in the current direct payments in 2023, and continued high farm input inflation, this failure to deliver SFI and Countryside Stewardship reliably is totally unacceptable.

“With the scale of the roll out of SFI still unclear and with many farmers still not sure what they need to do to apply, the current situation needs to be resolved quickly."

Mr Exwood added: “It is absolutely vital that Defra provides complete transparency of how the agricultural budget is being spent."

Defra opened a pre-registration window from 30 August to help smooth the application process.

The department said this would ensure farmers had all necessary information in place ahead of an application.

It added that the 18 September date for SFI23 would “provide certainty”.

The SFI will pay farmers for taking actions that support food production whilst protecting the environment.

The post-Brexit scheme will include 23 actions to protect the environment while supporting food production and productivity.

Actions available include soil health, moorland, hedgerows, integrated pest management, farmland wildlife, buffer strips, and low input grassland.

Defra Secretary Thérèse Coffey said: “The Sustainable Farming Incentive is important for sustainability - for production and profitability.

"With opening up the options, from mid September for everyone, there is likely to be an opportunity for every eligible farmer to join SFI.”