Farmers advised ‘be ready to act fast’ on SFI 2026 support

With details of the eagerly-awaited 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) still to be announced, farmers have been urged to be “ready to move swiftly” to avoid missing out once the revamped scheme is finally launched.

Farmacy environmental services specialist Hannah Joy says that the government had pledged £2.7bn/year to support sustainable farming and nature recovery between 2026 and 2029, however demand for that money was likely to be very high, and there could be a narrow timeframe to submit applications.

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“At the moment, we’re still no clearer as to what shape SFI 2026 is going to take, but it’s likely that we could see some kind of capped funding to spread funds more equally, and potentially a short application window,” she warns.

“Our advice is to prepare now, so that you’re ready to go as soon as more details become clear – which will hopefully be very soon – ahead of the scheme’s launch, which we anticipate is likely to be sometime next spring.”

Capital grants

Similar advice applied to any farmers and landowners interested in applying for the next round of Defra’s Capital Grants scheme, which offered funding for environmental improvements, such as improving water quality and natural flood management.

“If you’re looking to apply for a capital grant in 2026, particularly one of the higher value options, such as concrete for yards, sprayer fill areas, or farm tracks, then it’s worth making sure you’re in a good place and ready to apply as soon as the scheme opens,” says environmental services specialist Joanna Wilcox.

“For some options, you can’t apply without having the approval of your local Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) adviser, so where that’s the case, speak to them now to get that in place ready.

“There’s no point waiting until the grant application window opens, because last year it was only open for a month, which doesn’t give you much time.”

She also reiterated calls for farmers to be prepared for the launch of new SFI and, together with Ms Joy, highlighted a number of actions farmers could take in the meantime, including:

• Check all mapping details with the RPA to ensure everything is accurate and up-to-date (boundaries, hedges, land use details and so forth)
• Review current farm practices and any existing stewardship measures to evaluate what is working well, what is less effective, and where future opportunities might exist on the farm (such as are existing features in good condition, are they in the right place, are they delivering benefits to the environment and the financial/technical performance of the farm business?)
• Consider what additional “wishlist” options could work for the farm business and where they might go – discuss potential options with your adviser or agronomist
• Put together a rough draft plan for future stewardship measures
• Ensure all record-keeping is in order and you have all necessary supporting evidence for existing stewardship or accreditation schemes, such as Red Tractor (make sure all soil/IPM/nutrient management plans are up to date, map and asses hedgerows and buffer strips, conduct soil testing and so on)
• Inform the RPA in advance if you think there are any issues with current scheme actions – for example, a cover crop did not establish properly
• Stay engaged with Defra/RPA updates