The NFU has responded to the closure of SFI26 window 2 in less than six hours as ‘no surprise’.
Vice-president Robyn Munt says its closure demonstrates the scale of demand from farmers to deliver for the environment and invest in farm resilience.
“The current cashflow pressures facing farmers and growers only exacerbates that demand as they look for certainty and clarity for the year ahead. But those that missed out have been left with even greater uncertainty as the sector doesn’t have a commitment from government for SFI27 and access to Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier. We know the uncertainty and financial pressure this creates for those businesses.”
According to Robyn, the NFU had warned Defra for months that the available budget wouldn’t meet the demand of those farmers wanting to deliver for the environment and sustainable farming.
“The additional funding announced by the Prime Minister in August was welcome, but with thousands of agreements ending this year, it was clear that it wasn’t enough to plug the gap in the budget needed and it fails many who have been committed to such schemes for many years.
“Yet again, Defra has created a position where there are the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ in the sector, based purely on the speed of pressing a button. This comes at the same time as the department says it wants a reset with the farming industry. Instead, it’s further damaged business confidence levels that are already incredibly low.”
Robyn adds that the Farming Minister’s response to the closure suggests there’ll be further announcements. “We look forward to hearing what these next stages are. These must come urgently, with clear information on what schemes will be available and when. For food producing businesses already questioning whether they can survive the year ahead, this clarity is critical,” she concludes.
