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.

Two Tone · Jul 8, 2023

Oilseed said:
No, but a shame we couldn't have had another thread for that.

Unfortunately, even if one was started I don’t think it would stay positive for very long.

soapsud · Jul 8, 2023

Oilseed said:
Well I've spent about 3 hours reading this thread to try and learn about the SFI and most of that time has been spent learning of every bodies political views, most of you should have become MPs or Civil servants as you seem more interested in running the country than farming!

Jackie Mason cracked once that it's a shame that the people who know what's wrong with the country and what's needed to fix it are too busy cutting hair or driving taxis to do anything about it.

You'd be mistaken for confusing farmers for hairdressers and cabbies.

If you've read this thread then you know that Defra's current policy is to destock the uplands and encourage the arable farms to carry on as before. This thread is about feeling our way through this and understanding the consequences.

Tell us how you'll respond to SFI and why?

Wolds Beef · Jul 8, 2023

@Janet Hughes Defra Can you please clarify the Tax situation that was clearly mentioned a few threads back. And you have gone very quiet again, most of us do appreciate your input and we hope it is making a difference at your end. If you can not clear up the tax situation maybe a colleague in a different department can.!!

JockCroft · Jul 8, 2023

While this thread has no relevance to me, as I am in Scotland, it does interest me.
Having just had an agent complete a new AECS application (Scottish conservation scheme) points based so will it be successful or not? Wait probably until end of year.
It can be useful to have a payment for something you may be doing anyway, or adapt system to make use of payments.

BUT.

Firstly, cannot complete application myself as would immediately loose 5 or 6 points, which an adviser can claim from groupage with other applications, so that's £800 down the drain if not successful.

The rates to be paid are the same as was at beginning of last 5 year scheme, so will be 10 years with no increase for inflation. Not forgetting how special seed mixes are a rip off from seed merchants.

For "Wader grazed grassland" a deduction of areas within 30 metres of trees and hedge rows is being made. Even though we were almost forced to plant trees and hedges 20 to 30 years ago. I understand the reasoning but every change is like a kick in the teeth.

All dates for Shut off, cutting, grazing etc are clear and well defined, but for this far north maybe not quite in tune with nature.

We are dictated to so much by City dwellers, maybe about time we look at their environment and lobby for changes. Lets start with a restriction on size of cars based within City boundaries. The huge need for green space so with redundant car parks=Plant Them. Trees shrubs etc. Cycles limit to 10mph max.
Come on add your ideas.

Got a Summer Flu so in a right grumpy mood today.

Oilseed · Jul 8, 2023

J 1177 said:
So you think sfi, is a positive for farming then?

No, but a shame we couldn't have had another thread for that.

soapsud said:
Jackie Mason cracked once that it's a shame that the people who know what's wrong with the country and what's needed to fix it are too busy cutting hair or driving taxis to do anything about it.

You'd be mistaken for confusing farmers for hairdressers and cabbies.

If you've read this thread then you know that Defra's current policy is to destock the uplands and encourage the arable farms to carry on as before. This thread is about feeling our way through this and understanding the consequences.

Tell us how you'll respond to SFI and why?

I will take from it what is best for me and my business. If it does none of these I will not take part in it.

Tiptoe Ted · Jul 8, 2023

@Janet Hughes Defra Please could you confirm that it will be permitted to terminate a Mid Tier agreement early in order to enter the SFI?
I have always understood that it would be ok but I can't see an answer to this question in either the handbook or this thread.
I appreciate that you can run a mid tier and SFI alongside each other but I would like to transfer it all into SFI.
Many thanks

Dockers · Jul 8, 2023

How about limiting flying to say 5000 miles per year per person ?

Goweresque · Jul 8, 2023

I have now worked out that SFI agreements can start at any time of year. So I'm at a loss as to how you can (for example) agree to provide winter bird food crops for 3 winters if you start your agreement at any point in late summer or autumn. The only way to have a seeded crop in place for Dec 1st is to plant spring varieties in April or May. And people with commercial arable crops won't have removed them until July or August. There's absolutely no way of getting what they want in place at that time of year, its physically impossible. But an agreement starting 1st October will only have 3 winters in it, so is the first winter 'free'?

Similarly the grassland option that requires there to be a seeded grass crop in place for winter runs into exactly the same problem. If you have a field thats just had a cut of silage taken off in September how can it go into IGL2 in an agreement starting Oct/Nov the same year?

steveR · Jul 8, 2023

Oilseed said:
Well I've spent about 3 hours reading this thread to try and learn about the SFI and most of that time has been spent learning of every bodies political views, most of you should have become MPs or Civil servants as you seem more interested in running the country than farming!

But SFI and Politics are inextricably connected, so it was inevitable that the political decision behind SFI would be discussed.

There is so much info here that can be cross referenced to the manual... if you want to.

Oilseed said:
No, but a shame we couldn't have had another thread for that.

I will take from it what is best for me and my business. If it does none of these I will not take part in it.

As I suspect, will all of us.

steveR · Jul 8, 2023

Goweresque said:
I have now worked out that SFI agreements can start at any time of year. So I'm at a loss as to how you can (for example) agree to provide winter bird food crops for 3 winters if you start your agreement at any point in late summer or autumn. The only way to have a seeded crop in place for Dec 1st is to plant spring varieties in April or May. And people with commercial arable crops won't have removed them until July or August. There's absolutely no way of getting what they want in place at that time of year, its physically impossible. But an agreement starting 1st October will only have 3 winters in it, so is the first winter 'free'?

Similarly the grassland option that requires there to be a seeded grass crop in place for winter runs into exactly the same problem. If you have a field thats just had a cut of silage taken off in September how can it go into IGL2 in an agreement starting Oct/Nov the same year?

Practically speaking, that first Autumn will best fort planting anyway, so that 1st winter will be utilised.

Spring planting can be a nightmare for birdy mixtures IME.

Humble Village Farmer · Jul 8, 2023

J 1177 said:
So you think sfi, is a positive for farming then?

Of course it's a positive for farming despite all the negativity. It's an opportunity to diversify away from less profitable enterprises and improve the environment.

livestock 1 · Jul 8, 2023

Oilseed said:
Well I've spent about 3 hours reading this thread to try and learn about the SFI and most of that time has been spent learning of every bodies political views, most of you should have become MPs or Civil servants as you seem more interested in running the country than farming!

That’s a pretty selfish comment. The uplands have been targeted for ethnic cleansing with this. Do you think we should just lye down?
We are not trying to run the country we can’t work with something that’s unworkable.

Raider112 · Jul 8, 2023

livestock 1 said:
This lot looks like a dream come true for land agents.

Maybe not, I was told that a land agent was telling people not to bother as it wasn't worth the hassle for the money on offer.

Henarar · Jul 8, 2023

livestock 1 said:
The uplands have been targeted for ethnic cleansing with this.

Apart from moorland I can't see that uplands are treated any different to anywhere else, so far as I can see its the same SFI rates for both

livestock 1 · Jul 8, 2023

Apart from moorland I can't see that uplands are treated any different to anywhere else, so far as I can see its the same SFI rates for both
There’s very few options for uplands available

soapsud · Jul 8, 2023

Humble Village Farmer said:
Of course it's a positive for farming despite all the negativity. It's an opportunity to diversify away from less profitable enterprises and improve the environment.

My grandaughter says it's socialism for wealthy landowners who no longer wish to grow food - all paid for by suburban middle class taxes. What can you say to make her change her mind?

yellow belly · Jul 8, 2023

Two Tone said:
To all those signing up to SFI and taking the shilling to not grow food on land that really should be doing so, I ask you this question:

How do you feel about that and do you really think it truly is using ‘Public money for THE public good’?

Yeah, I didn’t think so either!

@Janet Hughes Defra ?

There has been public money for stewardship and set aside for 30 years
what’s the difference

in the 1920s and 1930 most of the land I farm was very extensive pasture that was ploughed up in the 1940s
most food was imported because it was cheaper
over the last 200 years land was only farmed if there was a profit producing food or forage for horses

Humble Village Farmer · Jul 8, 2023

soapsud said:
My grandaughter says it's socialism for wealthy landowners who no longer wish to grow food - all paid for by suburban middle class taxes. What can you say to make her change her mind?

She's right. But it's no different to the CAP or BPS.

It's a start though, because it allows farmers to say no to low farmgate prices. Until that happens, farm businesses will be reliant on the taxpayer to make up the shortfall.

yellow belly · Jul 8, 2023

Raider112 said:
Maybe not, I was told that a land agent was telling people not to bother as it wasn't worth the hassle for the money on offer.

Pick a different agent
some have done hundreds of stewardship applications many of those could be done with Sfi with payments 6 months sooner

Raider112 · Jul 8, 2023

yellow belly said:
Pick a different agent
some have done hundreds of stewardship applications many of those could be done with Sfi with payments 6 months sooner

Not much in SFI if you farm in Cumbria.

Sustainable farming incentive - handbook for 2023 has been published

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100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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