£233 million fund to help more farmers boost food production and protect the land

A £233 million fund for farms opened today (Tuesday 22 September), part of the government’s pledge to support farmers and land managers to produce food sustainably. 

The second application window of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) 2026 includes a £50 million boost announced by the Prime Minister in August, to help farmers hit by low yields and rising costs access a reliable income stream, in return for action to improve the environment. It also includes £3 million not allocated in the first application window.   

The first window saw strong uptake, with 7,000 applications received including from many small farms, 3,100 new agreements going live by 1 September, and payments already reaching farmers’ bank accounts. 

The package supports more drought-resilient, sustainable farming practices and forms part of a wider drive to give farming businesses breathing space on costs and grow the rural economy in every corner of the country. 

Growing our own food is a matter of national security and part of our long-term plan for English farming, the Farming Roadmap.

Farmers shouldn’t have to carry the risk of a changing climate alone, and this funding means more farmers can build the kind of resilient, sustainable businesses that can better withstand whatever the weather throws at them next.

Our work and the Farming Roadmap are backed with real co-operation with our farmers, because more often than not the best answers for our countryside come from the people who work the land.

Rural Payments Agency CEO Oliver Munn said: 

We have worked hard to make this year’s scheme clearer, more focused and easier to navigate for farmers and land managers. 

The response to the first window shows strong demand, and our teams have been working at pace to turn applications into agreements and payments. 

As the second window opens, our focus is on giving applicants clear guidance, predictable processes and the confidence to apply when they are ready.