June 2024 announcement - Latest SFI opportunities for farmers
The latest announcement of the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer included details released in May and full applications to open in late July. Claire Robinson - Senior Countryside Adviser at the National Farmers Union - shares a break-down of where this fits within current Government schemes and the Agricultural Transition timeline.
Details of the range of Government funding options available to farmers, growers and land managers can be found on the centralised GOV.UK pages Funding for farmers, growers and land managers.
Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier options have been incorporated into the SFI as actions, whilst Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier and Landscape Recovery continue as separate schemes.
Defra announced that the following SFI actions will be available from July:
- Two of the existing 23 SFI actions are merged
- 23 new actions, including on precision farming, moorland, flood and water management, agroforestry and no till
- 57 improved versions of actions previously offered through Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier
- Eight actions require a five-year commitment
- One will need endorsement, with more endorsed options to follow
- 10 actions are restricted to 25% of the farm
- Premium payments are included
More technical actions will be in Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier
Further details can be found in the Defra blog post ‘This year’s Sustainable Farming Incentive Offer’ and the GOV.UK pages Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme: expanded offer for 2024.
Initial details on the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier offer can be found here - Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
