Written by Michelle Martin from Agriland
The government will start accepting applications for what it has called the “new and improved” Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) in a controlled rollout from August.
During the initial roll out period, when farmers sign into the Rural Payments service they will either be able to apply online or will be asked to contact the Rural Payments Agency, who will arrange for them to start an application.
This year there are additional actions for farmers to choose from, bringing the total on offer to 23.
These new additions cover actions on hedgerows, integrated pest management, nutrient management, farmland wildlife, buffer strips, and low input grassland.
The government has also streamlined the application process for farmers; farmers will now only be shown the options available to their farm and can now choose their own combination of actions in a ‘pick and mix’ structure.
Farmers can also decide how best to achieve each action’s aim, rather than prescriptive on-size-fits-all rules, and the scheme has been made more compatible with the Countryside Stewardship where land is eligible for both schemes.
There’s also no minimum or maximum land area or hedgerow length, so farmers can choose how much land to cover with their SFI agreement.
“After listening to extensive feedback from farmers, we’ve done a huge amount to streamline and improve the Sustainable Farming Incentive, making it as simple and flexible as possible for farmers to engage with, apply for and embrace,” Farming Minister Mark Spencer commented.
“The scheme will remain flexible to allow for the changing needs and requirements of both farmers and their markets to ensure the best outcomes for food production and the natural environment.”
The government has also published a new SFI Handbook and sector-specific guides to help farmers understand what’s on offer to them easily.
Payments under SFI 2023 will be made every three months and participating farmers will receive management payment of £20/ha for the first 50ha to cover participation costs.
They will also receive payment to cover one on-farm visit each year to review the health and welfare of livestock.
Payments rates will be the same for upland and lowland areas and there will be an additional annual payment for common land of £6.15/ha for groups of two or more.
There are also shorter agreement lengths that do not require landlord consent for tenant farmers.
The SFI is one of the government’s post-Brexit farming schemes. It pays farmers for actions that manage land in a way that improves food production and is environmentally sustainable.
The post SFI 2023 accepting applications from August appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.
Continue reading on the Agriland Website...
During the initial roll out period, when farmers sign into the Rural Payments service they will either be able to apply online or will be asked to contact the Rural Payments Agency, who will arrange for them to start an application.
This year there are additional actions for farmers to choose from, bringing the total on offer to 23.
These new additions cover actions on hedgerows, integrated pest management, nutrient management, farmland wildlife, buffer strips, and low input grassland.
The government has also streamlined the application process for farmers; farmers will now only be shown the options available to their farm and can now choose their own combination of actions in a ‘pick and mix’ structure.
Farmers can also decide how best to achieve each action’s aim, rather than prescriptive on-size-fits-all rules, and the scheme has been made more compatible with the Countryside Stewardship where land is eligible for both schemes.
There’s also no minimum or maximum land area or hedgerow length, so farmers can choose how much land to cover with their SFI agreement.
“After listening to extensive feedback from farmers, we’ve done a huge amount to streamline and improve the Sustainable Farming Incentive, making it as simple and flexible as possible for farmers to engage with, apply for and embrace,” Farming Minister Mark Spencer commented.
“The scheme will remain flexible to allow for the changing needs and requirements of both farmers and their markets to ensure the best outcomes for food production and the natural environment.”
The government has also published a new SFI Handbook and sector-specific guides to help farmers understand what’s on offer to them easily.
SFI 2023
Payments under SFI 2023 will be made every three months and participating farmers will receive management payment of £20/ha for the first 50ha to cover participation costs.
They will also receive payment to cover one on-farm visit each year to review the health and welfare of livestock.
Payments rates will be the same for upland and lowland areas and there will be an additional annual payment for common land of £6.15/ha for groups of two or more.
There are also shorter agreement lengths that do not require landlord consent for tenant farmers.
The SFI is one of the government’s post-Brexit farming schemes. It pays farmers for actions that manage land in a way that improves food production and is environmentally sustainable.
The post SFI 2023 accepting applications from August appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.
Continue reading on the Agriland Website...