North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan said many farmers in her constituency who were currently undertaking positive environmental work are ‘ineligible' for the SFI scheme
The application portal for SFI will be closed between December 27 2023- January 2 2024. Any draft SFI applications that are not submitted before December 31 2023 will be lost and not recoverable when the portal reopens again in the new year
Rural Payments Agency said 97 per cent of applicants had recieved their share of £525m
When it comes to the application process, the delivery and the options available to all farmers, there are some inconsistencies, which the industry hopes will be ironed out in the next SFI announcement
When it comes to SFI uptake, about 6,600 applications have been started but not yet submitted and only 800 agreements are live with farmers delivering on required outcomes
NFU modelling work showed on average upland farm businesses lost 37 per cent of their support payments under the current Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship options
AHDB has analysed the effect of stacking elements of the SFI on arable, beef and sheep, dairy and mixed farms in England, as well as how to combine actions within the scheme
Hosted by Íæż½ã½ã’s parent company Íæż½ã½ã at the NEC Birmingham, Farm Business Innovation, Family Attraction Expo, Leisure Food & Beverage Expo, Holiday Park and Resort Innovation Show and are currently running concurrently over a two day period
Many farmers have welcomed the straightforward nature of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) but criticised the limited information given beyond the first payment
Growers attending a recent open day were advised to do what is right for their farm situation when considering the options available under SFI