The SFI26 budget

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Sustainable Farming Incentive
Aerial view of green farmland with rows of crops divided by hedgerows and a line of evenly spaced trees casting long shadows, under a partly cloudy sky stretching across a gently rolling countryside.

Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle has confirmed a £240 million budget for new Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements. In this post, we explain how the funding will be allocated, what it means for Window 1 and Window 2 applicants, and where you can find information to help you prepare for the scheme opening later this month.

Farming Innovation Investor Partnerships Competition: deadline reminder

Woman picking ripe strawberries from plants growing in rows inside a polytunnel during harvest.

There is still time to apply for funding through the Farming Innovation Investor Partnerships competition. If you are developing a near-market innovation that could benefit farmers or the wider agricultural sector, the application window remains open until 17 June.

New guidance to help businesses prepare for EU trade agreement 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Farming across the UK, Farming and Countryside Team

The government is agreeing a new deal with the EU to make it easier to trade and move plants, animals, food and related products between the UK and EU. We’ve now published guidance to help businesses understand what these changes could mean in practice and the steps they may need to take to prepare.

Apply now for a water screening study 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Guest post, Water
Wide landscape view of a green marshland with tall grasses and patches of reeds in the foreground, leading to a calm, narrow stretch of water in the middle distance. A low tree line sits along the horizon, and above it a large, partly cloudy sky shows a mix of soft grey clouds and blue patches with warm light near the horizon.

Farmers in England can apply for a Local Resource Option (LRO) screening study. These studies help groups of farmers explore practical ways to secure reliable water supplies and improve long-term resilience. In this post, we explain how the studies work, what they can help farmers achieve, and how to apply.

Watch: lessons from farmers growing herbal leys in the Derbyshire White Peak

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Farming across the UK

Last summer, we visited farmers in the Derbyshire White Peak to hear what they’ve learned from growing herbal leys in improved grassland systems. Working with Catchment Sensitive Farming adviser Ben Rodgers, they have been exploring how multi-species swards can be integrated into grassland farming. In this post, we’re sharing the first films from that work.