SFI closure leaves growers in limbo – South East Farmer

The unexpected closure of the 2024 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) Scheme in March 2025 caught many off guard, leaving more than 4,400 growers with mid-tier Countryside Stewardship (CS) agreements, due to expire at the end of December, with no clear path forward.

Uncertainty now hangs heavily over farms just as they approach a critical decision-making window.

The advice from Georgina Wallis, Head of Environmental Services at Hutchinsons, for those who intend to apply for SFI in 2026, whether that is those with CS agreements ending in December, those who missed the application window in 2025 or those who have soon-to-be expiring SFI 2023 schemes, is clear: start planning now.

“Being able to prove that actions were delivered when and where they were declared is essential. The final year of early-adopted SFI 2023 schemes is where we’ll see DEFRA really scrutinise delivery,” she said.

While DEFRA refines the details of its next move, Georgina recommends growers take the following steps to ensure they’re ready:

1. Update your Rural Payments Agency land details

– Check land cover details, including land cover and land use, and field boundaries for accuracy.

– Make sure any land changes, whether acquired or transferred, are reflected in the system.

2. Evaluate what’s worked before

– Review past successful options, such as specific species within a pollen and nectar mix or whether a two year vs. one year winter bird food mix fits your system. Consider what could be replicated or improved.

3. Speak to your agronomist

– Begin assessing whether crop management actions, such as low-input cereals, could fit into your 2026 plans, even without final scheme details.

4. Organise your evidence

– Inspections on existing SFI agreements are becoming more routine. Even if dubbed as “friendly visits”, the inspectors still require evidence of delivery. Over-winter cover crops, for example, need photographic evidence, seed invoices and cultivation records, even if they’re long gone by the time of inspection.

5. Use farm management tools wisely

– Digital systems like Omnia can store and retrieve documentation such as photos and records with ease, making compliance less of a burden.

As we enter October, the realistic window for establishing new SFI mixes this year has all but ended. However, there is still time to prepare for spring implementation under a new scheme, one that many hope will bring clarity, continuity and confidence back to the environmental management of English farmland.

There’s funding. There’s intent. What’s missing now is direction.

Until DEFRA provides the full map, growers must prepare as best they can, with sound planning, diligent record-keeping and a close eye on what comes next.