sustainable farming incentive

Joe Dufosee enjoys working with his family on their large organic livestock unit, the majority of which is rented from the Ministry of Defence

Well planned and managed paddock systems can help farms get the most from grazing livestock on stewardship leys

Scale, self-sufficiency and spreading risk are three elements of the beef business model that are key to the Dore family's success

David Morley, of H&H Land and Estates said with a dwindling Basic Payment Scheme and no means of making up this lost income, it was farmers who have demonstrated a ‘long-term commitment to delivering environmental enhancement who are being unfairly penalised'

Department says December payments will deliver nearly £300m into rural economy

NFU senior countryside adviser, Claire Robinson said farmers had engaged with stewardship Capital Grants which support environmental delivery, ‘to only find the application window is suddenly closed for a review'

New analysis shows hill farmers are only receiving 8% or £39m of the Government's new farming support scheme, the Sustainable Farming Incentive, despite the uplands occupying ‘around 15% of England's area'

NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said there are sheep farmers who have 'wholeheartedly thrown themselves into the SFI pilot', whose agreements have now ended with no certainty over continuation into SFI and fears over budget cutbacks

The NFU has expressed ‘extreme concern' to reports the scheme is now unlikely to open until mid-2025