Farmers Race to Secure SFI Funding as Defra Adds £20m to Fund

Farmers face a “desperate race against time” to secure Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) funding, the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) has warned.

The NFFN, which helps farmers manage their land in an environmentally friendly way, criticized the “desperate scramble” for funding as application windows open and close within hours.

NFFN criticizes short SFI application windows

Cambridgeshire arable farmer Martin Lines, who heads the NFFN, said the current system was not fit for purpose.

“This whole SFI system, with windows opening and closing within hours, is not fit for purpose,” he said.

“We need to find a better way to do it, based on ongoing farm-wide agreement, rather than slamming the door on day one because the money is already gone.”

Mr Lines said that, after years of extreme weather, many farmers were relying on funding to help their farms adapt and become more resilient to climate change.

Defra announces additional £20m for SFI funding

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it would provide further information about funding application opportunities in 2027 “in the near future”.

A Defra spokesperson said small farms and new SFI entrants had been prioritized this year, with a limited first application window held in the summer.

“In anticipation of high demand for the second slot, ministers have decided to allocate an additional £20m to the fund, on top of the £50m announced by the Chancellor in August, to help fund as many deals as possible,” the spokesperson said.

Minister says SFI is designed to be easier to apply for

Agriculture Minister Stephen Morgan said the SFI was designed to make applications easier and that farmers had been “forced to respond”.

“This is a plan that works for farmers, supports food production, delivers practical and sustainable land management, and supports the objectives of our agricultural roadmap, the long-term plan for British agriculture,” he said.