SFI Announcement Eases Farmers’ Concerns

Farmers remain central to food production and environmental action and H&H Land & Estates are reassured to hear that the Government recognises the crucial role farmers have to play in Food Production

The Government has this week given farmers in the UK some measure of reassurance that they remain central to food production and environmental action in Britain’s accelerating journey towards Net Zero carbon.

In her announcement, Thérèse Coffey, The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs set out detailed plans for the nation’s farming sector, supporting farmers to be profitable and resilient as they produce food sustainably while protecting nature and enhancing the environment.

“Farmers are at the heart of our economy - producing the food on our tables as well as being the custodians of the land it comes from. These two roles go hand-in-hand and we are speeding up the roll out of our farming schemes so that everyone can be financially supported as they protect the planet while producing food more sustainably.”

Nick Mullins, Chartered Surveyor and Environment Advisor at H&H Land & Estates agrees that the announcement is a positive endorsement for the future of farming. “It is certainly reassuring to hear that the Government recognises the crucial role farmers have to play in food production, and that this can be an integral part of managing land in an environmentally sensitive way. 

“Although the ‘fast track roll out’ of the Sustainable Farming Incentives doesn’t appear at first glance to be significantly faster than before, it will give farmers a clearer idea of what environmental land management opportunities may be suitable for them, and  most importantly it will help them make the right business decisions in their planning for a commercially and environmentally sustainable future.” 

The plans announced for British Farming include:

• An accelerated roll out of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) - a key part of the Government’s Environmental Land Management schemes – providing farmers with a diverse range of paid actions to manage hedgerows for wildlife, plant nectar-rich wildflowers and manage crop pests without the use of insecticides.
• Six new standards will be added to the three existing SFI standards this year, meaning farmers can receive payment for actions on hedgerows, grassland, arable and horticultural land, pest management and nutrient management.
• Details of what farmers will be paid to deliver through an enhanced version of the Countryside Stewardship scheme (CS), which will see around 30 additional actions available to farmers by the end of 2024 – building on more than 250 actions farmers can take at present with the scheme seeing a 94% increase in uptake since 2020 and is now part of thousands of farm businesses. The next round of Countryside Stewardship Higher-Tier will open in February, with Mid-Tier following in March.

The Environment Secretary also confirmed that Countryside Stewardship Plus will reward farmers for taking coordinated action, working with neighbouring farms and landowners to support climate and nature aims. And Defra has confirmed it will open applications for the second round of the Landscape Recovery scheme in the spring to support ambitious large-scale nature recovery projects, focusing on net zero, protected sites and habitat creation.

In concluding Nick was keen to reiterate: “As always, we’re looking at the detail of the announcement so that we can help farming clients to assess the opportunities these new details offer for their own businesses.”

With a highly specialised understanding of the land and property sector across the breadth of the north of England and the Scottish Borders, H&H Land & Estates have a well-regarded reputation across the region, with offices based in Carlisle, Cockermouth, Durham, Kendal, and Penrith.