SFI 2023 to pay farmers sooner to help with inflation pressures, Defra announces
Farmers who apply to the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 (SFI) and have an agreement that goes live before the end of the year will receive an earlier payment to help with cash flow, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced today (13 September).
The revised Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 – which has 23 actions on offer for farmers - is currently accepting expressions of interest and will start accepting applications from 18 September.
In recognition of the challenges faced with inflation and rising input costs, Defra has confirmed that farmers who have a live SFI agreement before the end of 2023 will receive an accelerated payment in the first month of their agreement.
Increasing uptake
Defra Secretary Thérèse Coffey said: "Today’s announcements are acting on commitments made at the Farm to Fork Summit and driving forward our new farming schemes to deliver a profitable and sustainable food and farming sector that delivers for people and our planet now and into the future."
An increasing number of farmers are taking part in the Environmental Land Management (ELMs) schemes, with 32,000 Countryside Stewardship agreements in place across England for 2023 - a 94% increase since 2020 - and over 6,000 applications received so far this year.
Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: "With another record year for Countryside Stewardship, it’s great to see so many farmers signing up and getting involved.
"I will continue to work closely with the sector to take on board feedback to ensure our schemes work in the best possible way so farmers can run profitable and sustainable businesses into the future."
Authors
Oli Hill
As Communications Manager, Oli creates and oversees the content published on AIC's website, emails, Member briefings, print publications, and social media.
