FARMERS can now expess interest in Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) but will not be able to apply until September 18 - meaning money is not likely to land in accounts until January 2024. 

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has said this delay is 'unacceptable'. With the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) saying it there is 'no room left for further delays'. 

After announcing the delay, Defra said they 'understand the challenges that farmers face and always listen to their concerns'. 

SFI is a scheme that provides funding to help protect and improve the environment. Farmers can apply for 23 paid actions, 19 of which are new, under the scheme. New actions include payments for hedgerows, integrated pest management, nutrient management, farmland wildlife, buffer strips and low-input grassland.

READ MORE: Food production and improving environment DEFRA priorities

NFU Vice President David Exwood said: “This timeline is much later than farmers were led to expect and, as a result, most will not receive any SFI payments this year, one of the key tests for delivery of the scheme.

“Against a backdrop of farming businesses continuing to face huge economic challenges, facing into at least a 50% reduction in the current direct payments in 2023, and continued high farm input inflation, this failure to deliver SFI and Countryside Stewardship reliably is totally unacceptable.

“With the scale of the roll out of SFI 23 still unclear and with many farmers still not sure what they need to do to apply, the current situation needs to be resolved quickly."

Defra opened a pre-registration window on August 30 to ensure farmers have all necessary information in place ahead of their application. 

CLA president Mark Tufnell added: “I firmly believe that the ‘public money for public goods’ model is the right one – for farmers, for the public and for the environment. 

"The Environmental Land Management Schemes will work, but it is impossible to ignore the impact that continued delays are having on the confidence of land managers to engage with them.

“As a first step to reestablishing that confidence, DEFRA Ministers must recognise the immediate cash flow problems many farmers across England will be having, as BPS cuts bite. 

"There is no room left for further delays, and Ministers must redouble their efforts to ensure applications are processed and payments are made as soon as possible.”

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “The improvements that we’ve made to our farming schemes over the last 12 months – with increased payment rates and greater flexibility – are evidence of that.

“The Sustainable Farming Incentive has already received thousands of expressions of interest from farmers over the last week ahead of applications starting from 18 September, and we are actively considering how we respond to the issues raised by the NFU.”