One-Year Extension Announced for Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier Agreements
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that more than 5,000 farmers in England with Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier (CSMT) agreements, due to expire on 31 December 2025, will be offered a one-year extension.
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will contact eligible farmers directly with details of the extension offer. Each letter will include instructions for acceptance and a deadline for response. The timeframe for decision-making is expected to be short, and information on the reformed Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme may not be available before the deadline.
This extension aims to ensure continuity in habitat creation and biodiversity enhancement under existing CSMT agreements, while the reformed SFI is reviewed and refined. Defra has confirmed that further details on the next iteration of the scheme will be published in due course.
Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle said: “We’re backing farmers with the largest investment in nature-friendly farming in history, underpinning our cast iron commitment to food security. This targeted extension to Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier agreements ensures farmers have the certainty and support they need to continue to grow their businesses, get more British food on our plates, and help restore nature.”
AIC welcomes this clarification and supports the extension as a pragmatic step to maintain environmental delivery while farmers await further detail on the reformed SFI. AIC encourages Defra and the RPA to provide clear and timely guidance to help farmers and advisers make informed decisions.
Authors
Vicky Robinson
Vicky Robinson is Head of Sustainability and is responsible for leading and co-ordinating AIC's work on sustainability.
