Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will publish advance notice of opening dates and times for future Sustainable Farming Incentive application windows; and what assessment she has made of the impact on farmers who were unable to submit applications before available funding was exhausted.

The Government is considering lessons from SFI26 as part of the design of future offers. This includes exploring alternatives to first-come, first-served allocation and considering fairness, accessibility and deliverability. The Government recognises the disappointment of farmers who were unable to submit an application before available funding was allocated. Eligible farmers who did not obtain an SFI26 agreement will have another opportunity to apply in 2027.