Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier rollovers near 80%

Nearly four in five farmers offered a one-year extension to their Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreements have taken it up, underlining both the popularity of the scheme and the pressure on Defra to spell out what comes next for agri-environment policy.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) confirmed that almost 80% of eligible farmers in England accepted the rollover offer, with more than 4,000 agreements extended for a further year.

The deals are worth just under £59m and apply to schemes that were due to expire on 31 December 2025, offering continuity on existing terms.

See also: Deadline looms for CS Mid Tier rollover decisions

The window to accept a rollover offer from Defra closed on 27 November 2025.

The Mid Tier scheme is designed to balance support environmental management alongside food production, covering measures such as habitat creation, hedgerow management and reducing water pollution.

For many businesses, the extension provides short-term certainty at a time when longer-term policy remains unclear.

NFU deputy president David Exwood said the high uptake reflected farmers’ desire for stability.

“We’re pleased to see good uptake of the Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier rollover offer,” he said.

“Securing this roll over was a positive outcome for the NFU which gives thousands of farmers much needed certainty for the year ahead.” 

SFI clarity still needed

Mr Exwood also pointed to the wider policy gap facing the sector.

“It shows farmers remain committed to delivering for the environment, even at a time when there was limited information about the future of the Sustainable Farming Incentive [SFI] offer,” he added.

However, with 27,800 farmers in agri-environment schemes due to see agreements end in 2026-27, Mr Exwood warned that rollover deals are only a holding measure.

“It’s now crucial that Defra sets out a clear long-term plan for agri environment policy, including further detail on the future of SFI,” he said.

Defra farming minister Dame Angela Eagle welcomed the uptake, saying the extensions would give farmers “the certainty and support they need to plan ahead”.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) confirmed all accepted extensions have been processed and confirmation letters are being issued.