Sustainable Farming Incentive: how the scheme will work in 2022

Sustainable farming incentive details published today 2 December 2021

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Steevo

Member
Location
Gloucestershire
I take my hat off to Janet Hughes for her patience in answering all of the above questions!

She is reading and responding to all of our posts and at least is prepared to listen.

I think it's pretty clear that a lot of this will be unattractive to farmers based on the payment rates and as a result DEFRA are going to get quite a bit of justified flack from farmers....but it encourages me that those at the coal face are still engaging with farmers.

I hope that feedback will lead to reform to create a workable situation going forward.
 

Velcro Gloves

Member
Livestock Farmer
Of course we would not like you to do that, for any reason at all. Meadows are incredibly precious and important.

I'd suggest that if you have meadows and you would like to have them in a scheme then your best option would be to go into / stay in CS until we introduce the relevant standards into SFI - we'll be adding more standards in 2023, 2024 and 2025 and we'll provide a smooth way for you to transfer from CS into SFI when SFI is ready.
We were one of the first farms to go into stewardship in 1991, we are currently rolling over a hls/els agreement and don't want to enter CS because it would mean a drop in money. It's a bit sickening after 30 years of 'doing the right thing' to get pushed to the back of the que.
 
I have a 200 acre farm which is all low input permanent pasture and specie's rich meadows, we were one of the first farms to enter into css in 1991.
Is there anything farms like mine can get involved in before 2024 (permanent pasture standard) because it really feels we're getting punished for doing the right thing.
Thanks for your time Janet.
Hi there. We're rolling out SFI gradually so that we can learn and improve as we go. We think that's the best way to make the scheme work for farmers and achieve its intended outcomes.

Meanwhile, we're continuing to fund existing schemes - we saw a 40% increase in applications for CS this year compared with last year. If you don't see standards relevant to you in SFI yet, we'd encourage you to go into CS if you're not already, and we'll provide a smooth way for you to transfer into the new schemes when they're ready.

(Also note we've been reviewing payment rates for CS agreements and we'll be publishing the results of that review soon)
 

serf

Member
Location
warwickshire
Looks like they trying to give livestock another kick in the ballhox to if they trying to get folk to chop straw as organic matter too to tice it away from being baled if this is correct?
Not that it will be the case tho if offering a pittance !
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
I take my hat off to Janet Hughes for her patience in answering all of the above questions!

She is reading and responding to all of our posts and at least is prepared to listen.

I think it's pretty clear that a lot of this will be unattractive to farmers based on the payment rates and as a result DEFRA are going to get quite a bit of justified flack from farmers....but it encourages me that those at the coal face are still engaging with farmers.

I hope that feedback will lead to reform to create a workable situation going forward.

Fully agree, I hope Janet gets a good glass of wine with her supper tonight! Or even a beer down the local?

The whole engagement process is useful, as much for us as for DEFRA. It allows us farmers to really go through the pros and cons of what is on offer.
 

Steevo

Member
Location
Gloucestershire
Fully agree, I hope Janet gets a good glass of wine with her supper tonight! Or even a beer down the local?

The whole engagement process is useful, as much for us as for DEFRA. It allows us farmers to really go through the pros and cons of what is on offer.

If only we knew which local I'd happily put a few quid behind the bar.....imagine what the schemes would be looking like by closing time if we all did that! :LOL:
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
I think it's pretty clear that a lot of this will be unattractive to farmers based on the payment rates and as a result DEFRA are going to get quite a bit of justified flack from farmers....but it encourages me that those at the coal face are still engaging with farmers.

I hope that feedback will lead to reform to create a workable situation going forward.
I am hoping that the reality of a less than enthusiastic response from farmers, will lead to substantial funding being vired from Tiers 2 and 3 to the SFI.

Maybe then, SFI can be made to work for both farmers and to meet the targets of DEFRA?
 

two-cylinder

Member
Location
Cambridge
The soils standard (Introductory and intermediate) calls for 70% green cover over the winter months, 1st Dec to 1st March.
I quote 'Cover must be well established by 1st December'
To achieve this winter cereal crops must be well established by then, that's just not practical for many farms, here in the fens the main drilling period is mid October onwards, with many not going into the ground until well in November, after sugar beet some won't finish drilling until the new year.
As of today (2nd December) I have 90% of our Winter cereal acreage drilled, but only 30% well established.
 

Walton2

Member
My current HLS scheme ends in Feb. I can't start a mid or higher tier till Jan 23.

Can I apply for the sfi for the 10 months of 2022 when I'm not in a scheme, without double funding?
Thought the same. She's really nice to chat with too. (y)
Remember…..she’ll be getting paid whilst chatting to you.
Post 56 not answered, and if it ever does get a response….somebody else will have been paid to provide that response.
Meanwhile….they continue to treat us with contempt.
 

DRC

Member
I don’t want to appear rude to Janet , but if they’ve been engaging with farmers, like they say they have, why are they making such a dogs dinner of things. It couldn’t be more wide of the mark if it tried.
Its offering a pittance and wont attract many farmers, and there’s been no answer to what are we to do with these OM test results, which will be massively varied across our glacial moraine anyway. We have everything from sand/ gravel to clay with fields .
 

willy

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Rutland
I don’t want to appear rude to Janet , but if they’ve been engaging with farmers, like they say they have, why are they making such a dogs dinner of things. It couldn’t be more wide of the mark if it tried.
Its offering a pittance and wont attract many farmers, and there’s been no answer to what are we to do with these OM test results, which will be massively varied across our glacial moraine anyway. We have everything from sand/ gravel to clay with fields .

Totally agree, I feel it is time we float our own boat and help get rid of all the drift wood employed to rule us.
 

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
Looks like they trying to give livestock another kick in the ballhox to if they trying to get folk to chop straw as organic matter too to tice it away from being baled if this is correct?
Not that it will be the case tho if offering a pittance !
Also a useful little dig for the power station boys. Make 'em think a bit more about the price they pay! Though I think they are the work of the devil!! Government should really close them down and then the straw would be returned to the soil. Hey ho no joined up thinking.
 

fudge

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire.
Also a useful little dig for the power station boys. Make 'em think a bit more about the price they pay! Though I think they are the work of the devil!!
I’d rather deal with the power station boys they pay 3 times as much for removing OM than this lot are paying for measuring it. According to the government biomass generation is part of sustainability.
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
The soils standard (Introductory and intermediate) calls for 70% green cover over the winter months, 1st Dec to 1st March.
I quote 'Cover must be well established by 1st December'
To achieve this winter cereal crops must be well established by then, that's just not practical for many farms, here in the fens the main drilling period is mid October onwards, with many not going into the ground until well in November, after sugar beet some won't finish drilling until the new year.
As of today (2nd December) I have 90% of our Winter cereal acreage drilled, but only 30% well established.
Like the EA and muck spreading, the same problem of trying to farm to a calendar.... It DOESN'T work like that!!
 

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
I don’t want to appear rude to Janet , but if they’ve been engaging with farmers, like they say they have, why are they making such a dogs dinner of things. It couldn’t be more wide of the mark if it tried.
Its offering a pittance and wont attract many farmers, and there’s been no answer to what are we to do with these OM test results, which will be massively varied across our glacial moraine anyway. We have everything from sand/ gravel to clay with fields .

But Silverfox the pittance is down to the phasing out of BPS - so you are still getting that. for next three years as phases out. And until that time there isn't the pot of cash to pay more.
 
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SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,292
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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