Sustainable farming incentive - handbook for 2023 has been published

[Janet Hughes Defra]

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.

 

[Ceri]

The lack of interest by food producers in their scheme will force a change together with the realisation by other politicians that Coffey and her crew are contributing to inflation by failing to encourage English food production.
Let them eat woodchip buttercups moon daisies, delete where appropriate.

Well said boi….. You’d have thought with the energy crisis they’d have maybe realised that we should invest & look after our own instead of relying on imports but no haven’t learnt one bit by the looks…. Food is on a whole different level to anything else - You really don’t wanna f**k with your food supply……

 

[delilah]

Exactly, SFI could have been a base payment per ha for complying with cross compliance and some more items Defra want like:

- Soil testing & soil management plans
- Nutrient Plans
- IPM plans
- Animal Health and Welfare Plans
- EID tags and Bvd testing (controversial I know)

Easily achievable for all, would support food production and would not overly disadvantage English farmers compared to our neighbours.

The rate would not be as high as BPS - maybe 50% with the remaining 50% topping up stewardship rates and the various grants.

Current SFI actions like No Use of Insecticide and Minimum Tillage could then be shifted into Countryside Stewardship - keeping people like Clive happy.

It would be simple, deliverable and achieve everything their current schemes are trying to.

No more re-inventing the wheel, no more double funding conflicts, no more policy confusion, no more of the budget wasted on DEFRA admin.

Standard: PP1. Permanent Pasture.
Requirements: Don't plough it up.

 

[J 1177]

Well said boi….. You’d have thought with the energy crisis they’d have maybe realised that we should invest & look after our own instead of relying on imports but no haven’t learnt one bit by the looks…. Food is on a whole different level to anything else - You really don’t wanna f**k with your food supply……

These lot do and are. Clowns

 

[Ceri]

Nope. It's her job. She would be pleased to visit you. @Janet Hughes Defra

Seriously whats the point she obviously doesn’t listen given that after 6/7 years SFI/elms has turned out to be everything we told them not to do…..

 

[J 1177]

Seriously whats the point she obviously doesn’t listen given that after 6/7 years SFI/elms has turned out to be everything we told them not to do…..

Exactly shed come round no doubt be very pleasant, polite and disarming, blow smoke up your arse go away and completely ignore what you said whilst ticking the box for farmer engagement.

 

[Wood field]

Seriously whats the point she obviously doesn’t listen given that after 6/7 years SFI/elms has turned out to be everything we told them not to do…..

I see where you’re coming from but , I look at it another way , I’ve now invited Jannet to visit here twice , whether she does or not I don’t know
But , I can say I asked you to come and look , If She comes I can say I met her and put my point across even if it’s ignored
Bit like voting really, if you don’t bother voting you shouldn’t moan at who gets in power

 

[gone up the hill]

I see where you’re coming from but , I look at it another way , I’ve now invited Jannet to visit here twice , whether she does or not I don’t know
But , I can say I asked you to come and look , If She comes I can say I met her and put my point across even if it’s ignored
Bit like voting really, if you don’t bother voting you shouldn’t moan at who gets in power

Janet has been given a remit from people well above her pay grade, she has no option but to stick to that remit because her career would be over if she did not.

There is no end of things in the name of carbon/ net zero rubbish that are going to cause massive problems for the ordinary person in the street over the next 10 years, very high food prices being one/ petrol etc cars being banned/ only heat pumps as sources for heat in new houses/ log burners being banned and so the list goes on and all in the name of net zero!

 

[Wood field]

Janet has been given a remit from people well above her pay grade, she has no option but to stick to that remit because her career would be over if she did not.

There is no end of things in the name of carbon/ net zero rubbish that are going to cause massive problems for the ordinary person in the street over the next 10 years, very high food prices being one/ petrol etc cars being banned/ only heat pumps as sources for heat in new houses/ log burners being banned and so the list goes on and all in the name of net zero!

I don’t see the relevance to what I posted
We all or most understand carbon/ environment/ net zero etc etc
My point is if you don’t engage directly but just post on here with a “ what’s the point”then you/I can’t really moan
If we engage directly at least we can say “ we tried to tell you but you won’t listen”

 

[The Seeker]

Giving its focus groups driven I wonder if anyone higher up has ever seen this forum / thread

 

[Against_the_grain]

Exactly, SFI could have been a base payment per ha for complying with cross compliance and some more items Defra want like:

- Soil testing & soil management plans
- Nutrient Plans
- IPM plans
- Animal Health and Welfare Plans
- EID tags and Bvd testing (controversial I know)

Easily achievable for all, would support food production and would not overly disadvantage English farmers compared to our neighbours.

The rate would not be as high as BPS - maybe 50% with the remaining 50% topping up stewardship rates and the various grants.

Current SFI actions like No Use of Insecticide and Minimum Tillage could then be shifted into Countryside Stewardship - keeping people like Clive happy.

It would be simple, deliverable and achieve everything their current schemes are trying to.

No more re-inventing the wheel, no more double funding conflicts, no more policy confusion, no more of the budget wasted on DEFRA admin.

Spot on @Janet Hughes Defra This is a much better option for EVERYONE

 

[Exmoor Farm]

Exactly, SFI could have been a base payment per ha for complying with cross compliance and some more items Defra want like:

- Soil testing & soil management plans
- Nutrient Plans
- IPM plans
- Animal Health and Welfare Plans
- EID tags and Bvd testing (controversial I know)

Easily achievable for all, would support food production and would not overly disadvantage English farmers compared to our neighbours.

The rate would not be as high as BPS - maybe 50% with the remaining 50% topping up stewardship rates and the various grants.

Current SFI actions like No Use of Insecticide and Minimum Tillage could then be shifted into Countryside Stewardship - keeping people like Clive happy.

It would be simple, deliverable and achieve everything their current schemes are trying to.

No more re-inventing the wheel, no more double funding conflicts, no more policy confusion, no more of the budget wasted on DEFRA admin.

Maybe we should start a poll - 'As a farmer would you prefer the ELMS schemes to be designed as above over DEFRA's current plans '

Possible responses:

1. Strongly agree
2. Agree
3. Don't Mind
4. Disagree
5. Strongly Disagree

Further suggestions could be made in the comments sections.

If the response is overwhelmingly supportive then we could take it to the NFU, BFU, local MPS etc.

 

[Ceri]

I don’t see the relevance to what I posted
We all or most understand carbon/ environment/ net zero etc etc
My point is if you don’t engage directly but just post on here with a “ what’s the point”then you/I can’t really moan
If we engage directly at least we can say “ we tried to tell you but you won’t listen”

But we have tried (6/7 years)…… I think the time for nicey nicey farm visits where everyone lords it about working together for a sustainable future are over and it’s time to start shouting from the roof tops what a load of clap trap this has turned out to be & get something done about it before yet more millions of pounds are wasted on development of a doomed scheme that cripples English agricultur in the process…..
How’s that grab you…?

 

[J 1177]

Maybe we should start a poll - 'As a farmer would you prefer the ELMS schemes to be designed as above over DEFRA's current plans '

Possible responses:

1. Strongly agree
2. Agree
3. Don't Mind
4. Disagree
5. Strongly Disagree

Further suggestions could be made in the comments sections.

If the response is overwhelmingly supportive then we could take it to the NFU, BFU, local MPS etc.

I do admire your ideas i really do but im positive janet and defra are on a one way tunnel vision kamakazie ride to uk agricultural oblivion. Its already set in stone.

 

[Wood field]

But we have tried (6/7 years)…… I think the time for nicey nicey farm visits where everyone lords it about working together for a sustainable future are over and it’s time to start shouting from the roof tops what a load of clap trap this has turned out to be & get something done about it before yet more millions of pounds are wasted on development of a doomed scheme that cripples English agricultur in the process…..
How’s that grab you…?

How’s that grab me ?
Shout away on here , I will have them visit and believe me it won’t be nicey nicey on my part

 

[Ceri]

How’s that grab me ?
Shout away on here , I will have them visit and believe me it won’t be nicey nicey on my part

Yeh bloody tell her some truths, I think she’s got away lightly with what she’s doing & seems very efficient at brushing things aside…. Ask her how she feels about her policy thats going to seriously damage the viability of upland farms in England & all the other businesses that depend on them.

However, personally I do feel the time diplomacy is now over.

 

[Wood field]

Yeh bloody tell her some truths, I think she’s got away lightly with what she’s doing & seems very efficient at brushing things aside…. Ask her how she feels about her policy thats going to seriously damage the viability of upland farms in England & all the other businesses that depend on them.

However, personally I do feel the time diplomacy is now over.

I doubt she or anyone else will come !
However the invitation is there .
I agree diplomatic talks are not worth a shite but personally I can communicate better face to face

 

[Vader]

What’s upsetting to me is that this land type is only suitable for sheep grazing. There’s no other use for it as far as progressive farming as it stands at this present time goes. Unlike arable land where an unproductive crop can be avoided there’s not that option. Similarly with lower lying grazing land there’s many other options such as dairy beef or sheep. Hill sheep are required for this higher ground they are probably the most environmentally friendly type of production going.

Get rid of sheep.
Gets rid of sheep farmers.
Land becomes even cheaper to buy to cover in trees (lots of which die looking at social media last week)

 

[livestock 1]

Get rid of sheep.
Gets rid of sheep farmers.
Land becomes even cheaper to buy to cover in trees (lots of which die looking at social media last week)

Well you are on the same hymsheet as me then

 

[Vader]

@Janet Hughes Defra
You probably didn’t see it on the old sfi/elms thread but I did say you would be more than welcome to visit our little farm up here in the Pennines.
Meadows still not mowed ( late July) oyster catchers , lapwings and curlews , sheep lots of sheep
Yet we feel like the enemy , oh yes trees and I built a pond
You are more than welcome to see a small hill farm and what we do
David & Sarah

Careful...
If it's to many good stuff then you will get a sssi slapped on you and told your farming wrong and told to cut your stocking. Look at dartmoor..

 

[Wood field]

Careful...
If it's to many good stuff then you will get a sssi slapped on you and told your farming wrong and told to cut your stocking. Look at dartmoor..

Thing is though, when we come here it was a waterlogged rushy mess , the birds etc are here increasing BECAUSE we FARM the way we do