Offering you and your land are eligible, anybody can apply for a Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) settlement in 2023, together with these with 2022 agreements.
We’re asking everybody who’s in becoming a member of the scheme to register their curiosity first. We’ll then invite them to make a full utility. We’re taking this strategy to verify everybody who needs to hitch the scheme has a clean expertise with the appropriate degree of help.
We began inviting folks to register their curiosity in August and we’re on observe to start out inviting those that did so to use for an settlement from 18 September.
There is no such thing as a higher restrict on the variety of agreements we’ll situation this yr. Farmers representing a diverse vary of farm varieties throughout the nation have already registered their curiosity.
In recognition of the challenges confronted with inflation and rising enter prices, we can verify that farmers who’ve a reside 2023 settlement earlier than the tip of the yr, will obtain an accelerated fee — value 25% of the worth of their settlement — within the first month of their settlement, serving to with cashflow and making certain SFI works for 1000’s of farm companies.
be part of SFI, there are some steps you’ll have to take to prepare. Alongside updates from the staff and background on the scheme, you’ll discover all of the assets that you must put together on this put up.
SFI: enhancing earnings, productiveness and the atmosphere
The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) gives a dependable earnings which helps meals manufacturing and the atmosphere.
We have expanded and improved SFI based mostly in your suggestions. It’s now a way more versatile, broad and enticing supply with one thing for each form of farm.
By having an SFI settlement, you’ll get paid for actions that help your small business, meals manufacturing and the atmosphere.
Your settlement will begin the month after you settle for it.
We’ve modified the way in which we verify supply to make it extra versatile and pragmatic. You can be handled pretty and supported if issues go incorrect. We recently published a series of ‘how to’ guides for each SFI action. These guides usually are not necessary, they’re simply supposed to provide you a bit extra help.
SFI is just not aggressive. Anybody who applies and is eligible will get an settlement. You may enter as a lot land as you select: there isn’t any minimal or most space.
You may select what number of actions you do. When you’re in SFI, you possibly can add extra land and actions to your settlement every year.
You can be paid shortly. As talked about above, we all know that inflation and rising enter prices influence farming companies. So, to assist with money stream, farmers who’ve a reside 2023 settlement earlier than the tip of the yr, will obtain an accelerated fee within the first month of their settlement.
It’s potential to be in SFI and Countryside Stewardship on the identical time if the actions are suitable and you aren’t being paid for a similar motion twice.
Prepare
1. Learn the official scheme steerage.
The SFI Handbook for the 2023 offer units out the official steerage in a single PDF doc
The official guidance is also presented in individual, accessible webpages on GOV.UK
2. Check that you’re eligible to apply.
3. Check that your land is eligible.
4. Check the registered details on your digital maps are up to date. Requesting updates earlier than you apply will make it simpler once you fill in your utility. It takes time for adjustments to be actioned so it’s finest to request them as early as you possibly can.
5. Examine your contact particulars are updated and your permissions are accurately set for SFI within the Rural Payments service.
Issues to contemplate
When to hold out actions
For those who’re planning to enter SFI, you can begin some actions now and nonetheless be paid. For instance, to make the most of the autumn cowl crop window.
Hedgerow actions and digital maps
For those who’re considering of making use of for the SFI actions for hedgerows (HRW1, HRW2 or HRW3), you don’t want to verify your hedgerows in your digital maps earlier than you apply. You’ll discover steerage on this within the SFI Handbook (part 3.1).
For those who farm on widespread land
Those that farm on widespread land are eligible for SFI by means of group agreements. These agreements are prone to take longer to rearrange and would require some handbook processing due to the a number of events concerned. We’ll work carefully with commons associations to assist them prepare to use, together with offering entry to commons maps. We’ll give an extra fee to those that farm on commons, to recognise the additional work required to enter into the scheme.
These with SFI 2022 requirements agreements
These with SFI 2022 requirements agreements are inspired to express their interest within the 2023 supply in the event that they have not already.
The RPA will make contact to debate choices for coming into the brand new scheme. If in case you have an present SFI 22 requirements settlement, you possibly can embody this land or further land in your utility. The RPA will work with you to rearrange this as soon as they obtain your utility.
For those who’d prefer to contact the RPA now, you possibly can:
- e-mail: ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk – use ‘SFI’ within the topic header and embody your Single Enterprise Identifier (SBI)
- phone: 03000 200 301 – Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm, besides financial institution holidays
- write to: RPA, PO Field 352, Worksop, S80 9FG
We’d be capable to invite these with SFI 2022 requirements agreements to use earlier than the tip of their settlement. We’ll allow them to know.
Study extra
Discuss to us
If in case you have a query, put up it within the feedback part under.
Bear in mind, Fundamental Cost Scheme recipients can get free enterprise recommendation from unbiased suppliers. To discover a supplier in your space, go to the Farming Resilience Fund page on GOV.UK.
