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

To ask His Majesty's Government, following their blog post, "Update on the farming budget", published on 12 March, how many Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme applications had been started, but not submitted, by close of business on 11 March.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Sustainable Farming Incentive Expanded Offer (SFI EO) is an online application and by close of business on the 11 March there are 6,626 applications currently started but not submitted on the Rural Payments Portal.

We have closed SFI for new applications on the 11 March because the current SFI budget had been successfully allocated, with large-scale uptake of the scheme and 37,000 live SFI agreements delivering towards our environmental target.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, following their blog post "Update on the farming budget", published on 12 March, when they expect (1) to reopen applications under the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme, and (2) new contracts under the reopened scheme to begin.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We will be reforming the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer to direct funding towards SFI actions which are most appropriate for the least productive land and have the strongest case for enduring public investment.

We expect to publish more information about the reformed SFI offer in summer 2025. This will include an indication of when we expect to re-open SFI for applications.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, following their blog post "Update on the farming budget", published on 12 March, what is the committed expenditure for the next financial year for agreements currently in place under each of the schemes listed; and what funding is available for new agreements under each of those schemes.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The farming blog published on Wednesday 12 March set out Defra’s spend over the next two years (24/25 and 25/26).

Defra will manage that budget flexibly to respond to demand, and achieve our intended outcomes for farm productivity, environment, climate and animal health and welfare.

In line with its obligations under the Agriculture Act 2020, Defra regularly publishes an annual report setting out commitments in the previous financial year. Defra intends to publish the annual report for the financial year 2024/25 later this year, which will set out how money was spent in that financial year.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, following their blog post "Update on the farming budget", published on 12 March, what plans they have to meet the National Farmers' Union, the Country Land and Business Association and the Tenant Farmers Association to discuss the reopening of the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State attended the National Farmers Union (NFU) conference in February. Minister Zeichner has had 1:1 bilateral meetings on the Sustainable Farming Incentive specifically with the NFU, National Beef Association, British Poultry Council, Soil Association, Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, National Pig Association, National Sheep Association, British Egg Industry Council, National Federation of Young Farmers, British Free Range Egg Producers Association, LAA, Tenant Farmers Association and Country, Land and Business Association.

Found: Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Monday 31 March 2025 3.45 pm Watch the meeting Members present: Baroness Rock

Found: Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Monday 31 March 2025 2.45 pm Watch the meeting Members present: Baroness Rock

Found: Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Monday 24 March 2025 4 pm Watch the meeting Members present: Baroness Rock

Found: Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Monday 24 March 2025 3 pm Watch the meeting Members present: Baroness Rock