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Sustainable Farming Incentive

Asked by Steve BarclayConservativeDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 17 March 2026UIN 119862

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the removal of 31 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) actions on the projected average value of an SFI agreement.

Answered by Dame Angela Eagle

The purpose of streamlining the offer is not to reduce overall support for the sector, but to ensure funding is focused on actions that deliver the greatest value for food production and the environment.

The SFI26 offer includes 71 actions rather than 102, reflecting the removal of options that had low uptake or delivered limited environmental or productivity benefit. This ensures a simpler, fairer and better-targeted scheme. We have also introduced an annual agreement value cap of £100,000 to help spread funding across more farms and widen participation.

Payment rates remain based on income-foregone-plus‑costs, and many actions continue to offer attractive returns. By improving accessibility and value for money, SFI26 supports long‑term farm profitability while enabling more businesses to benefit from agreements.

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