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.

 

[egbert]

Thanks for that, all I can say is I hope NE are hung out to dry for this.
I was wanting to know more because of people’s concern that going into a SFI scheme could result in similar measures. For me on upland pasture with no common, fell or moorland and no SSSI’s I can‘t see how a 3 year low input grassland or bird feed option could lead to this. But if I had any of those features it would definitely be a worry. Just shows what an absolute mess these schemes are , as I’ve said before one of the best things they could do to help bird numbers is control predators

You're not wrong there.

Taking SFI to its conclusion.... I suppose you might end up with such bio-diversity that NE will become interested......?
(They're already planning/unrolling all kinds of new labels and areas of their domain)
anyhoo, i can't see varying ELMS existing for long enough as is. (or NE, hopefully)

Er, so do I. Do you have the same number there you used to? I don’t. Or the same number you have rights for?
By the way they weren’t turned out they used to live there as in every day it’s supposed to be their home not there for a holiday now and again

sorry @livestock 1 ...it sounded like you thought i didn't
Current stocking less than half what it was in headage payment era, with a lot more 'winter removal', so maybe a third of the actual grazing.
Vegetation getting away from stock everywhere- for lack of stock AND environ changes

Unpack this for us, if you can - without giving your gameplan away, obviously.

It's not a game of chicken, I understand. And bureaucrats can soon be re-deployed elsewhere. And Natural England are soon to have their legal wings clipped. But even so, you and your commoners still have time on your side? History and the future - even if the present doesn't seem like it?
Guerrilla grazing may become a national pastime. Then where will NE be?

I don't think it's much secret.
Outside scheme, there are tribes who will turn out the same stock...or possibly a lot more.
NE seemingly cannot currently nail commoners outside scheme (no payments= no cross compliance penalty), and proving to a court the commoner is in the wrong is, for various reasons, very difficult indeed.
Further, there is just about zero chance of those hills not catching fire if stock is removed. Currently, we've been putting the fires out.

One colleague summed it up to me lately.
He's on a good common, and his hill ewes grossed £50k in output last year, while his payment was maybe half that. Boffo!...good set up mate.
But, if NE reduce his stock/add to his costs, or scheme payment shrinks....he'll very quickly cross a threshold where he'd be better off out of scheme.
(he has rights for more than double the number of ewes, and the common is undergrazed.)

 

[livestock 1]

You're not wrong there.

Taking SFI to its conclusion.... I suppose you might end up with such bio-diversity that NE will become interested......?
(They're already planning/unrolling all kinds of new labels and areas of their domain)
anyhoo, i can't see varying ELMS existing for long enough as is. (or NE, hopefully)

sorry @livestock 1 ...it sounded like you thought i didn't
Current stocking less than half what it was in headage payment era, with a lot more 'winter removal', so maybe a third of the actual grazing.
Vegetation getting away from stock everywhere- for lack of stock AND environ changes


I don't think it's much secret.
Outside scheme, there are tribes who will turn out the same stock...or possibly a lot more.
NE seemingly cannot currently nail commoners outside scheme (no payments= no cross compliance penalty), and proving to a court the commoner is in the wrong is, for various reasons, very difficult indeed.
Further, there is just about zero chance of those hills not catching fire if stock is removed. Currently, we've been putting the fires out.

One colleague summed it up to me lately.
He's on a good common, and his hill ewes grossed £50k in output last year, while his payment was maybe half that. Boffo!...good set up mate.
But, if NE reduce his stock/add to his costs, or scheme payment shrinks....he'll very quickly cross a threshold where he'd be better off out of scheme.
(he has rights for more than double the number of ewes, and the common is undergrazed.)

You needn’t say sorry on my behalf by any means. This is what I was saying earlier, people messing with stocking rates just creates a load of bull pates and strong sour grass that stock won’t eat. The stinted rights were there for a reason and fells were best then they ever have been

 

[willyorkshire]

Anyone hear Michael Gove on Today programme, between constant interruptions from Nick Robinson? He was plugging the 'marvellous reform' of ag and land use. As usual full of sh t. When our representatives, inc ag press NFU etc. going to get on the case and STOP just saying it's all marvellous. Mags are just full of it, regen etc. The science in support of this is almost non existant. I'm not wholly against it but ag progress over the years has been based on science and improving farmers return.
We are not being shown any of this, I guess because it doesn't exist.
When are they going to be told and then accept that these schemes they've dreamt up in ELMS are against food production and therefore are against more productive farms?
Something is going to have to give. I just hope it's not UK agriculture.

 

[livestock 1]

Anyone hear Michael Gove on Today programme, between constant interruptions from Nick Robinson? He was plugging the 'marvellous reform' of ag and land use. As usual full of sh t. When our representatives, inc ag press NFU etc. going to get on the case and STOP just saying it's all marvellous. Mags are just full of it, regen etc. The science in support of this is almost non existant. I'm not wholly against it but ag progress over the years has been based on science and improving farmers return.
We are not being shown any of this, I guess because it doesn't exist.
When are they going to be told and then accept that these schemes they've dreamt up in ELMS are against food production and therefore are against more productive farms?
Something is going to have to give. I just hope it's not UK agriculture.

Absolutely. I mentioned earlier a few days ago on here that these farming practices they are promoting have never been taught in an ag college or have never been proven success by the more forward moving top end farmers. Therefore it’s not acutely sustainable. Sustainable means profit

 

[The Seeker]

Dumpster fire would be described by government as a glorious chance to remove the past and introduce a cleaner more diverse future

 

[farmerclare]

The Trouble with Sheep - BBC Sounds

Upland sheep are under fire - Charlotte Smith investigates what the future holds.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[soapsud]

In the interests of balance, here is an anti-BBC pistake

 

[moretimeforgolf]

I’ve just had an email from the the RPA telling me that my 2022 Sfi agreement will be terminated at the end of January 24.

 

[charlie81]

I’ve just had an email from the the RPA telling me that my 2022 Sfi agreement will be terminated at the end of January 24.

Likewise. The way I read the email, we won't be able to apply for the new standards until end of January, six months after they are released. Penalised for being an early adopter, typical.

 

[moretimeforgolf]

Likewise. The way I read the email, we won't be able to apply for the new standards until end of January, six months after they are released. Penalised for being an early adopter, typical.

Correct, on the other hand, technically, we don’t actually need to do anything with the old agreement because in my case it will only be 9 months long. Measures need to be implemented in the first 12 months.

 

[Huno]

Likewise. The way I read the email, we won't be able to apply for the new standards until end of January, six months after they are released. Penalised for being an early adopter, typical.

My heart f u k ☆☆ing bleeds for you... i said don't engage for the last 18 months and show some simple solidarity to our industry rather than Micheal Gove and Dieter Helm but no you all threw yourselves under the wheels... well my reply now is that i hope the Cart squashes you and you learn from it
Output= Mess

 

[Huno]

Correct, on the other hand, technically, we don’t actually need to do anything with the old agreement because in my case it will only be 9 months long. Measures need to be implemented in the first 12 months.

Good luck on your Golf Course

 

[steveR]

Correct, on the other hand, technically, we don’t actually need to do anything with the old agreement because in my case it will only be 9 months long. Measures need to be implemented in the first 12 months.

I LIKE it.....

 

[gloria1]

Quote from, "Defra Farm Blog Govt.Uk.21/06/23. Sfi more ways to enhance your income productivity and environment."

"In short, if you’re already in SFI, you will be able to access the full 2023 offer.
You won’t be at any disadvantage because you entered the earlier version of the scheme and we will make the transition as seamless as possible for you. "
??

 

[Billboy1]

i saw that gove interview as well , they just lie through their teeth I'm sick and tired of it they must think we are stupid and quite honestly if you enter these schemes as they stand you are, the funding needs to double then i might think about !

 

[Farmeraduk]

i saw that gove interview as well , they just lie through their teeth I'm sick and tired of it they must think we are stupid and quite honestly if you enter these schemes as they stand you are, the funding needs to double then i might think about !

Wish there was some sort of farmers union to represent us.

 

[Devil's advocate]

My heart f u k ☆☆ing bleeds for you... i said don't engage for the last 18 months and show some simple solidarity to our industry rather than Micheal Gove and Dieter Helm but no you all threw yourselves under the wheels... well my reply now is that i hope the Cart squashes you and you learn from it
Output= Mess

Arthur Scargill made speechs like that. Ended up going from living in a small house & leading a large union to living in a big house with a small trade union. I live just half a mile from his daughter.

I'm doing what's best for me.

 

[Huno]

Arthur Scargill made speechs like that. Ended up going from living in a small house & leading a large union to living in a big house with a small trade union. I live just half a mile from his daughter.

I'm doing what's best for me.

you crack on boy! Unions are for people who can't think for themselves

 

[Huno]

Every person in the UK is currently subsising Ukraines harvest and yet @steveR chooses to comment on a thread that is not supporting subsidised food for our own population by being sarky and flying their flag... the man is an a r s e..

 

[B'o'B]

you crack on boy! Unions are for people who can't think for themselves

So you want to think for yourself, but want others to show solidarity with your actions? An oxymoron if ever there was one