Suffolk manufacturers farm goes into SFI – Agri Machinery News
The Claydon family’s arable farm in Suffolk has been accepted for all the categories it applied for under SFI ...
- The Claydon family’s arable farm in Suffolk has been accepted for all the categories it applied for under the Sustainable Farming Incentive
- SFI pays farmers and land managers ‘to take up or maintain sustainable farming and land management practices which protect and benefit the environment, support food production and improve productivity
“I am delighted that we are officially underway with plans to integrate SFI into our farming system,” states Jeff Claydon, who founded the Suffolk-based agricultural machinery manufacturer which bears his name and invented the Opti-Till® direct seeding system. “The massive changes to the Basic Payment System in England will reduce our income from this source by circa £60,000 annually, so we had to start managing our farm differently. Following the announcement of a significant upgrade to the government’s Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) at the 2024 Oxford Farming Conference in January we began to consider what we might be able to do under SFI. However, we only received permission to apply in July and at the end of November were notified that Defra have accepted our proposal.
“On our Hanslope Series heavy clay soils we had to start managing our farm differently before permission came through. We embraced SFI based on what was outlined in January, hoping that what we did would meet Defra’s current requirements and qualify for payments. To provide evidence-based data, everything was recorded on three systems: Claas Telematics on our Claas Lexion combine, the Fendt One Connect system fitted to our two Fendt tractors and sprayer, together with the Omnia digital farming platform we use to record and manage SFI actions. Working with Jim Woodward at Farmacy, which is part of Hutchinsons, our main agronomic adviser, we assessed the SFI options for three 85ha blocks, which will provide significant benefits.
- In Year/block 1, the grant for no-till establishment (SOH1 – £73/ha) and growing a catch crop (SOH3 -£163/ha) followed by winter wheat with a companion crop (CIPM3 – £55/ha), will bring £24,735 in SFI payments.
- In Year/block 2, growing a second wheat, the same approach and payments will apply, generating £24,735.
- In Year/block 3, with the area in spring oats, we will have a post-harvest catch crop (SOH3 – £163/ha), followed by a winter cover crop (SAM2 – £129/ha), then direct drill spring oats with a companion crop (CIPM3 – £55/ha). The No Insecticide payment (CIPM4) will add £45/ha and the no-till establishment (SOH1 – £73/ha) grant will take the total payment in Year 3 to £39,525.
“Annual SFI rotational options payments will total £88,995, with a further £5408 in Whole Farm Management Payments. These include £1627 for Soil Management Plans under CSAM1 (£6/ha + £97), £652 for a Nutrient Management Plan (CNUM1), £1129 for an Integrated Management Plan (CIPM1) and Management Payments of £2000 in Year 1, £1000 in Year 2 and the same in Year 3. Potentially, annual SFI income will total £94,403, or £370/ha. Details are on the Claydon website claydondrill.com/grant-funding/ or farmacy.plc.uk.
“On the Claydon farm we are pleased with how things are shaping up at the start of the season, giving optimism for harvest 2025. To help others, the Claydon team has developed the ‘Think’ campaign (claydondrill.com/think-change/), which shows how Opti-Till® can reduce the time and cost of establishment by almost 50%. It also shows how Claydon customers can improve yields and benefit soil health to deliver healthier, more sustainable, more profitable crops.”
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