Sustainable farming incentive - handbook for 2023 has been published

Janet Hughes Defra · Jun 21, 2023

Afternoon all,

Today we've published a handbook containing all the detailed information about the sustainable farming incentive offer for this year.

The handbook is here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfi-handbook-for-the-sfi-2023-offer

An overview blogpost is here: https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2023/06/21/sfi-more-ways-to-enhance-your-income-productivity-and-the-environment/

The handbook sets out all the detailed actions, rules and requirements of the scheme, in a single handbook that you can download and print (because this is what many of you have asked us to do, rather than spreading the information across multiple pages on GOV.UK).

We have made some changes to the scheme in response to feedback from you and other farmers and through our pilot and early rollout of the scheme. In particular, we have made a much broader range of options available, made the scheme more flexible so you can pick the individual actions you want to do rather than having to do them in set combinations or percentages of land entered into the scheme.

Finally, I know I have not been present on the forum in the consistent, ongoing way many of you would like. I understand why that has been frustrating and annoying, and I am really sorry about that. I have found that am just not able to personally engage on every thread on an ongoing basis, I'm afraid. However I do really want to find a way of addressing your questions and hearing your feedback all the time, not just when we publish new information, so I am working with @Clive to put in place a better, ongoing, sustainable way of managing this so that you can ask questions of me and my team and give us feedback when they arise. We will let you know where we get to with that as soon as possible.

For this particular thread, I am planning to be online at least daily, for the next week, to answer your questions about the information we've published today. I have posted this as a question with voting, and if you could upvote questions that you particularly want me to address it would be helpful if you could vote for them so that I can prioritise my time and attention, and I will then do my best to work through as many of them as I possibly can. I hope this is helpful and look forward to your questions.

If you have questions about your specific farm situation, the best thing to do is contact the RPA contact centre and they will be able to point you in the right direction.

Thank you.

Huno · Jun 23, 2023

Janet Hughes Defra said:
Yes, those in SFI can access CS capital grants

But we can't afford to match fund capital grants anymore?

Janet Hughes Defra · Jun 23, 2023

Ceri said:
@Janet Hughes Defra I have a lot of Permanent pasture in HLS HK15 option. Can I claim this low input grassland option in SFI on the same parcels…?

No I'm afraid you can't combine those two actions - the list of actions that can be combined on the same land are set out in the handbook, these are actions that are compatible and don't involve us paying you for the same thing twice through different schemes or options

Huno · Jun 23, 2023

Janet Hughes Defra said:
No I'm afraid you can't combine those two actions - the list of actions that can be combined on the same land are set out in the handbook, these are actions that are compatible and don't involve us paying you for the same thing twice through different schemes or options

Stuck record springs to mind.. Pump Priming ?? is my reaction to this...

Janet Hughes Defra · Jun 23, 2023

stroller said:
@Janet Hughes Defra do you realise that by not allowing half management of hedgerows you will end up with lots of boundary hedges that don't get managed as neither owner can enter them in the scheme?

You can manage one side of a hedgerow and the prices for the actions are given on that basis.

For hedgerow trees specifically, you need sufficient control of both sides to be able to identify and establish / manage trees (otherwise the person with control of the other side might remove them), but we've said that this can include boundary hedges where you can meet the requirements of the action

Janet Hughes Defra · Jun 23, 2023

Chris W said:
Why can’t it be done on part of a parcel ?
Some of our RPA land parcels account to 3+ fields.

Submitting RLE1 forms to split them all up into smaller land parcels just seems a waste of time and money for no real benefit ?

We're well aware that process is slow and burdensome and we're working on making it much more straightforward - meanwhile we've provided as much flexibility as we can on whole and part parcel options, but very happy to take feedback on that (and all other issues) into account as we continue to develop the scheme

Huno · Jun 23, 2023

Janet Hughes Defra said:
You can manage one side of a hedgerow and the prices for the actions are given on that basis.

For hedgerow trees specifically, you need sufficient control of both sides to be able to identify and establish / manage trees (otherwise the person with control of the other side might remove them), but we've said that this can include boundary hedges where you can meet the requirements of the action

Can i manage my own hedges privately for timber if i dont engage in a scheme??

Exmoor Farm · Jun 23, 2023

Janet Hughes Defra said:
You can combine smaller parcels into a single sampling area to avoid that situation, if they're similar (see page 22 of the handbook)

I’ve seen that on page 22 thank you.

I must admit I did not think a 5ha parcel would be considered ‘small’ enough to be combined with other parcels into a single sampling area.

Where do you draw the line?

Can you confirm that a RPA inspector (sorry field officer) will consider 5ha parcels small?

Huno · Jun 23, 2023

Janet Hughes Defra said:
We're well aware that process is slow and burdensome and we're working on making it much more straightforward - meanwhile we've provided as much flexibility as we can on whole and part parcel options, but very happy to take feedback on that (and all other issues) into account as we continue to develop the scheme

The flexibility is starting to emerge nicely.. The funding.. not so much...

Janet Hughes Defra · Jun 23, 2023

Vader said:
@Janet Hughes Defra
Could you explain to us please why the BPS can not be frozen at last years level at least while the SFI is actually working right to the point where farmers are joining in numbers?

As the money had been ring fenced, then there must be a big pot of cash that could keep bps going, as with the low uptake of sfi, then there must be a surplus of cash from the sfi budget.?

The idea of farming is so people have food.
Farming is under pressure due to high costs. The BPS was a buffer in these sort of hard years. Without bps and high costs, output has to drop, like we have seen with eggs for example.

This way of bps cutting and poor thought out sfi that wont stack up unless you cut production just seems a little crazy with a world in turmoil due to the Ukraine war.

BPS is being phased out gradually; most of the budget is still spent on it. The money taken out of BPS so far has mainly been spent on increased prices in CS, meeting increased demand for CS, and a range of grants and other productivity support. We manage the budget flexibly so we can deliver the intended outcomes in a way that reflects demand for different types of payments. We set this out in a blogpost last year if you'd like more detail on it https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/20...ly-access-money-released-from-basic-payments/

Huno · Jun 23, 2023

Janet Hughes Defra said:
BPS is being phased out gradually; most of the budget is still spent on it. The money taken out of BPS so far has mainly been spent on increased prices in CS, meeting increased demand for CS, and a range of grants and other productivity support. We manage the budget flexibly so we can deliver the intended outcomes in a way that reflects demand for different types of payments. We set this out in a blogpost last year if you'd like more detail on it https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/20...ly-access-money-released-from-basic-payments/

50% of BPS is GONE... nothing is filling the gapping hole in 2023?????

Janet Hughes Defra · Jun 23, 2023

topground said:
So much for Michael Goves statement that a farmer could make the application and be finished and out for a pint by 6.
@Janet Hughes Defra If I put together my plan of how I would comply with the limited options available to me as an all grass farm and submit it to the RPA can you assure me that they will approve that plan or set out clearly where I have misinterpreted the scheme and how to put that right?
If they are not prepared to pre approve then that only goes to show that I have to trust that the inspector who calls does not have an agenda and wont screw me over at a whim.I don’t trust the RPA and without prior approval why would I take the risk better not to have the stress and consequent impact on my mental health. would you?

I would recommend calling the RPA if you want to check in advance whether your plan meets the requirements of the actions

Janet Hughes Defra · Jun 23, 2023

milkloss said:
To print the handbook in satin 150gsm paper, bound, is £23 in black and white, £65 colour. By a local small business.

@Janet Hughes Defra is the document designed to be printed in black and white or will some details be difficult to see or understand?

It is designed to be printed in black and white

Janet Hughes Defra · Jun 23, 2023

ajcc said:
I see @Janet Hughes Defra newest measure of success is 70% uptake of sfi by 2028. Doubtless if you only put one of your twenty fields into an sfi option you will be part of the successful participation percentage…….Just doesn’t add up growing weeds at scale and still maintaining domestic food capacity. It’s deceit just like the ‘Emperor’s new clothes.’ Fairy story with our livelihoods thrown under the bus.

That's been a published target since 2020, but it's not our main objective - our main objectives are to deliver the intended outcomes for food production, farm productivity and environment / climate. We think that level of uptake will ne necessary to do that.

Janet Hughes Defra · Jun 23, 2023

holwellcourtfarm said:
Hi @Janet Hughes Defra and thanks for putting in your time here.

I'm aware of a number of non- farming recipients of RDPE money (for instance; refurbished village halls) that are funded by DEFRA. Is any of the money released from declining BPS going into these schemes?

No

Huno · Jun 23, 2023

Janet Hughes Defra said:
That's been a published target since 2020, but it's not our main objective - our main objectives are to deliver the intended outcomes for food production, farm productivity and environment / climate. We think that level of uptake will ne necessary to do that.

But... if you don't pay enough for it.. those 3 main strategic objectives will fail.. Not dissimilar to the current offensive in Ukraine.. to be blunt...

Huno · Jun 23, 2023

@Clive thinks these are " negative vibes" they are not... they are just simple commercial comments... In 5yrs time we will all be in a very brave new world and that is just wrong for the taxpayer

Sid · Jun 23, 2023

Huno said:
50% of BPS is GONE... nothing is filling the gapping hole in 2023?????

Its ring fenced, the fact is that I believe monies have been robbed from Peter (BPS) to pay Paul (CSS increases)

Happy to be corrected @Janet Hughes Defra

Velcro Gloves · Jun 23, 2023

@Janet Hughes Defra, thanks for coming back on ff and answering our questions, I'd like to ask, is there going to be anything else in the future for extremely high quality HLS+ permanent pasture because as it stands I have some of the best species rich hay meadows in the south west and I don't want to plough them up to plant a herbal ley or leave them as stubble ect.
I'm standing to lose 14k in subsidies as it stands if I go all in with SFI/CS.

Janet Hughes Defra · Jun 23, 2023

holwellcourtfarm said:
How does this fit with all the options for reducing the food output of land (buffer strips, corners out of production, very low input grassland, convert arable to environmental grassland etc)? Are you assuming that the food yields of the remaining productive land increases to offset this?

Yes. Many of the SFI options are in-field options that can help improve productivity as well as benefiting the environment, as demonstrated by those farmers who are already doing these practices. For the rest, usually people use the options for field corners and margins / strips / blocks to cover less productive areas, solve other problems on the farm (eg hedgerows as shelter belts or for security) and / or to support IPM and other approaches that can help improve overall productivity.

Janet Hughes Defra · Jun 23, 2023

holwellcourtfarm said:
Do the scheme Ts & Cs still contain the clause allowing DEFRA to change the terms unilaterally without notice (although saying notice will be given where possible) without the scheme applicant having the right to then withdraw without penalty still apply? If so then I cannot honestly recommend ANY farm to take part.

No (see clause 6.4 of the terms and conditions, starting on page 135 of the handbook) - we changed this for SFI last year, following feedback from you and others about this issue. We can only change it with your consent, other than in genuinely exceptional circumstances.

Sustainable farming incentive - handbook for 2023 has been published

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