Sustainable Farming Incentive – an update
Defra has released further information on the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
The headlines are:
- SFI will be available for applications in June.
- No deadline to the application window; the RPA will process applications on a rolling basis.
- If eligible for BPS, you will be eligible for SFI.
- Land can be in BPS, Countryside Stewardship Scheme and SFI, so long as there is no double funding.
- Standards and payments rates have not changed from those announced earlier in the year.
- Applications will be made using the Rural Payments Service, in a similar way to the Basic Payment Scheme and Countryside Stewardship Schemes.
In preparation for submitting a claim, we encourage all those interested to make sure their ‘land covers’ and ‘land uses’ are correct on the Rural Payments Service (please contact a member of the team if you have any questions on what this means).
A reminder of the standards and payment rates:
- Arable and horticultural soils standard
- Introductory level paying £22 per hectare
- Intermediate level paying £40 per hectare
- Improved grassland soils standard
- Introductory level paying £28 per hectare
- Intermediate level paying £58 per hectare
The full press release from the RPA can be found here >
