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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the progress of the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

Over 8,500 farmers have applied to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and more than 6,000 agreement offers have been issued.

On 4 January updated payment rates were announced, with the average value of an SFI agreement increasing by 10%. Around 50 new paid-for actions will be added to the SFI and Countryside Stewardship schemes from summer 2024, giving farmers more choice and an offer for all farm types and locations.

From this summer, farmers will be able to apply for Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier and SFI actions through a single application process, making it easier for farmers and land managers to see what is available to them and access the funding in a more straightforward way.