info@akcagric.co.uk | 01380 724 687
DEFRA January Update
DEFRA January Update
Post date
January 2024
Yesterday, DEFRA announced their latest publication regarding the Agricultural Transition Plan – this provides an update on DEFRA progress to date and their priorities and plans for the upcoming years.
To support productivity, innovation and encourage more farmers to get involved with their schemes that work with food production and environmental targets, DEFRA are aiming to make their schemes and regulation more attractive, fair and workable.
To help achieve this, DEFRA’s plans for 2024 include:
1.An average 10% increase in payment rates for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship (CS) to reflect current market conditions
*If you already have an SFI or CS agreement, this increase will automatically apply
2. Introducing 50 new actions within the environmental land management schemes
*New actions include those relating to precision farming and agroforestry. These new actions aim to benefit all farm types, especially those on grassland and moorland. Additional ‘maintenance’ actions will also be added.
3.Ensuring schemes become more accessible and flexible, with a streamlined single application service for SFI and CS Mid-Tier applications
*This streamlined single application service will mean you are only required to follow one application process to apply for both SFI and CS. Within the application, you will be provided a list of all actions available to your land, and you will be able to combine compatible actions from both schemes, more easily.
Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship agreements will continue to be managed through a separate application process. These agreements are different for each farm and require more advice, support and often a formal consent, depending on the complexity of the case. DEFRA aim to offer these agreements though a simpler, clearer, and faster service.
4.Premium payments made to farmers for completing highly ambitious actions or for delivering packages of actions that achieve significant environmental benefits
*To learn more about the 21 high priority actions, click here.
5.Prioritising an ‘advise and prevent’ approach across schemes and regulation to encourage fair participation for all farmers
*This means farmers will be provided the support they need if things go wrong, to help ensure they meet compliance standards, rather than providing penalties immediately.
Further to the above, DEFRA are awarding up to 5, multi-million-pound contracts to promote crop innovation. This support in agricultural technology innovation will help farmers to improve their practices through adopting new technologies – to encourage increased crop growth, sales and business resilience.
If you have any questions with the above update, feel free to contact us on 01380 724687 or email info@akcagric.co.uk and we will be more than happy to help.
Likewise, if you haven’t applied for the SFI or CS and feel unsure about how to start or whether some of the options apply to your farmland, let us know, and we will be able to advise you on the best options for your farm.
