NFU demands Defra clarity on SFI timetable

Farm leaders say they have been left in the dark by Defra on when the application windows for the 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) will open in England, despite a promise for greater clarity.

Addressing the Oxford Farming Conference last January, Defra secretary Emma Reynolds committed to providing farm businesses with better clarity and stability.

She told farmers: “You will have the certainty you need to plan. Clear budgets. Clear timelines.”

See also: Why SFI26 doesn’t stack up for Herefordshire farmer

Unknowns

But with the first SFI 2026 application window for farms under 50ha and those without existing agreements due to open in June, precise timings and budget allocations for the scheme have still to be confirmed.

Speaking at this week’s NFU council meeting in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, NFU president Tom Bradshaw said farmers were “rapidly running out of time”.

And he raised concerns from officeholders and the Farming and Food Partnership Board over the lack of information.

“We need to start planning what we are going to want to put into those SFI schemes,” said Mr Bradshaw.

 “We don’t know what the budget is, despite the commitment to transparency.”

He added: “We’re getting increasingly concerned about the squeezed timeframe and the lack of ability for people to plan.”

Second window

The second window is set to open in September for all farms, and businesses are also increasingly concerned about what funding might be left.

Mr Bradshaw said: “We’re worried that if the June window doesn’t open until late, will we know what the budget is that’s available for September, because they won’t have processed all of the applications that have gone in from the June window.”

Farm businesses are already anxious about being able to secure funding through the SFI schemes, with high levels of demand expected and consultants advising farmers to be prepared in advance and ready to apply as soon as the windows open.

A Defra spokesman said: “We are engaging with farming organisations as we work to finalise the new SFI offer and full scheme details will be published before the first application window opens.”