Defra have published the SFI Handbook on GOV.UK. setting out all the actions the government will pay for and the scheme's rules. Today, Minister Spencer confirmed the final details of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) 2023 offer at the Lincolnshire Show, including information on the SFI management payment and how those already in SFI agreements can access SFI23.
The "new and improved" Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) 2023 will start accepting applications in a controlled rollout from August, offering additional actions and more flexibility to choose the actions farm businesses want to get paid for.
As a result farmers will get paid for taking actions that support food production and improve farm productivity and resilience, while also protecting and improving the environment. Also, additional actions under SFI 2023 are aiming to make the offer attractive and workable for all types of farms.
The 23 actions on offer under SFI 2023 cover existing themes including soil health and moorland, as well as new actions on hedgerows, integrated pest management, nutrient management, farmland wildlife, buffer strips, and low input grassland.
When adopted at scale, these actions can be used to support sustainable food production and contribute towards the environmental targets set out in the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan. Optimising the use of nutrients through a nutrient management review, for example, will not only reduce carbon emissions and improve the natural environment but can also reduce farmers’ costs.
Comments