This week’s announcement that no new applications will be accepted to a major government-backed farm support scheme prompted anger and disbelief in Cumbria’s rural community.
Farming organisations and businesses highlighted the damage the move to close the flagship Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme will do, particularly to smaller farms.
Figures used by Defra to justify the move have also been questioned.
According to David Morley, head of conservation and environment at H&H Land & Estates, the halt to SFI will come as another bombshell of bad news for farmers across the UK.
“With the closure of SFI, Defra is now offering no support schemes to farmers in England. This appears incredibly shortsighted and, coming on top of the Budget measures on IHT (Inheritance Tax), it shows this government cannot be trusted to support the farming industry in any way.
“There is no doubt the industry urgently needs a long-term, positive ‘reset’ in agricultural policy, but this extraordinary measure coming out of the blue like this will add immense pressure to farmers already facing unprecedented challenges to their businesses.”
One of those who called into doubt Defra’s figures was hill farming expert Dr Julia Aglionby, professor of practice at the University of Cumbria, who questioned whether Defra had actually spent its farming budget, as the department claimed when making the SFI announcement.
She used Defra data published on 20th February to assess the annual cost of SFI and estimated that a headroom of more than £400 million remained for 2025-26.
The move was also condemned by the CLA — an organisation representing country landowners — which described it as a betrayal and claimed it will harm the environment and reduce food production.
Given the global political situation, this was described as “reckless beyond belief”.
CLA regional director Harriet Ranson said: “The bombshell announcement of the scrapping of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which has always been billed as a rolling application window, demonstrates yet again the lack of understanding this government has of farming calendars and lengthy production cycles and their dismissal of farmers’ mental health and wellbeing.
“I would go so far as to say it is an atrocity that will damage the UK’s food security and our commitments to nature recovery and environmental targets.
“The loss of SFI represents a destructive blow to farmers across the North, especially those in upland areas who have always taken a back seat when it comes to farming support.”
She added: “This government seems hell bent on destroying the farming sector — farming support schemes can’t simply be switched on and off without there being major consequences, especially for smaller farmers.”
