This year’s NFU Conference saw Defra secretary Emma Reynold’s share more detail on the new 71-action Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme, as well as outline funding uplifts in other areas.

Frontier Agriculture sponsored the NFU Conference again this year to support open industry debate, champion resilience and profitability, and help ensure farmer voices are represented in national policy discussions.

Simplified SFI offer

The keynote speech from Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, provided welcome clarity for growers and advisors in England as she unveiled the revised scheme:

• Actions reduced from 102 to 71, removing duplicates/those with low uptake which weren’t seen to be delivering for food and environment.

• A new £100,000 agreement cap per year.

• Removal of the SFI management payment for new agreements.

• A reduction of rates for some actions, reflected in increases for other areas.

• Two application windows – June for prioritising small farms up to 50 hectares and those without existing Environmental Land Management (ELM) agreements. All other farms will be invited to apply in September.

• No further unexpected closures.

For many farm businesses, the clarity on timing and scheme design supports longer-term planning and may help reduce some of the uncertainty growers have been managing in recent months. Frontier was pleased to see the detail confirmed, and its teams will continue working closely with customers to navigate opportunities as more information emerges, ensuring they can confidently make decisions that are right for their farm businesses.

More about the new SFI offer can be found on the Government’s Farming Blog.

Further funding uplifts

Alongside the SFI changes, Defra also confirmed additional funding commitments and timelines for industry grants:

• £225 million will be made available for ELM Capital Grants (a £50 million increase), available from July and designed to help farmers invest in hedgerows and natural flood management and equipment to protect water quality.

• £120 million for productivity grants, with £50 million allocated to the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund – opening 17th March – and £70 million for the Farming Innovation Programme to support more on-farm research.

Farming and Food Partnership Board

Following the announcement at January’s Oxford Farming Conference that there would now be a Farming and Food Partnership Board, Emma Reynold’s confirmed that the first meeting will take place in March and will include NFU representation, with other board members set to be announced shortly.

Fairness in the supply chain

During the Conference, a breakout session took place focused on the recent Defra consultation on contractual practice in the combinable crops sector.

Frontier submitted its response earlier this month, with representatives from the business joining the NFU session to hear more about broader industry engagement and next steps.

Key themes were around the practicalities of contract terms and agreements, particularly force majeure provisions and fairness for all parties. The importance of consistent sampling and intake procedures were a large focus, as well as having access to real-time information so farmers can adapt and respond as needed. The business case for a digital grain passport to improve overall transparency was also raised.

Many of the themes reflected those included in Frontier’s consultation response, including calls for greater transparency and clearer contract structures. Frontier also believes it is important that the needs of the wider supply chain are sought alongside those of growers, so that any future framework is fair, practical and workable for all parties, including end users.

Defra confirmed it would deliver the outcomes of the consultation in due course, with the expectation that it will propose a legislative framework that sets boundaries and requirements. Frontier will continue to engage and provide constructive feedback on behalf of its customers and partners to ensure proposals are fair and proportionate for the arable supply chain.

Growers looking for advice or support with the updated SFI offer, or to navigate other funding opportunities, can get in touch here.