New Sustainable Farming Incentives announced today finally inject sense of urgency for farming post-Brexit
Katie Hilton, Director, Cheffins Rural Professionals comments on the new Sustainable Farming Incentive standards announced today:
“The government has at last injected a sense of urgency into delivering on its post-Brexit support package for the farming sector, with detailed plans now published on how farmers can sign up to its Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme on a more comprehensive basis. Until now, the gradual roll out of the Sustainable Farming Incentive has understandably been met with a lukewarm reception because there has been very little substance on offer for farmers to get enthusiastic about, with only paid standards for soil health and moorlands available. This positive development means that six more standards will be added to the Sustainable Farming Incentive in 2023. Farmers will be able to start layering the payments they receive from the scheme to build a meaningful contribution to farm incomes.
New Sustainable Farming Incentive standards announced today include actions for hedgerows, arable land, integrated pest management, nutrient management, improved grassland and low-input grassland. In addition, the Sustainable Farming Incentive will now offer an additional ‘management payment’ for entering the scheme of £20 per hectare up to 50 hectares, to a maximum £1,000 per year.
Earlier this month, Farming Minister Mark Spencer announced at the Oxford Farming Conference much-welcomed increases to payments across Defra’s Countryside Stewardship schemes. With a boost to the potential income these schemes can yield, farmers are encouraged to look at the detail and see how best they can take advantage of the more attractive terms offered in 2023.
New entrants to the Countryside Stewardship scheme will see a 10 per cent gain on previous revenue payment rates, whilst capital items under the scheme have increased by an average of 48 per cent. This means that grant funds for winter bird food mixes, for example, are now paid at a rate of £732 per hectare, up from the previous £640 per hectare and nectar flower mixes are £614 per hectare, up from the previous £579 per hectare.
Where capital grants are concerned, recent inflationary pressures have led to more substantial increases for these grants so that, for example, hedgerow gapping-up is now set at a more attractive rate of £17.22 per metre rather than £9.50 per metre. The laying of a new hardcore track is now grant-aided at £44.63 per metre, up from £33.00 per metre. With over 60 capital grants to choose from, these are worth a look.
Expected from 2024, Countryside Stewardship Plus promises access to a greater range of options for managing natural resources and better flexibility for entering and managing these types of agreements, something that is currently lacking.
There is no doubt the UKs post-Brexit farming landscape has been left in a state of confusion for far too long, with the government’s targets on air, water, soil and biodiversity seemingly at odds with the more recent sense of urgency we now feel around protecting domestic food production. The government’s strategy has clearly been to prioritise its environmental goals and whilst these are laudable aims, recent global events have reminded us they need to go hand-in-hand with profitable and sustainable food production.
These new announcements, along with Defra’s Environmental Improvement Plan to be published shortly, are urgently needed to help set the farming industry on a confident and unified new path towards developing a clear sense of post-Brexit identity.”
For further information, contact the Cheffins Rural Professionals department on 01223 213343 or e. camb.agric@cheffins.co.uk or ely.agric@cheffins.co.uk