We’re offering a one-year extension to more than 5,000 Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier (CS MT) agreement holders whose agreements are set to expire on 31 December this year.
This targeted, time-limited extension is being offered while we develop the reformed Sustainable Farming Incentive for 2026, refresh the Environmental Improvement Plan and roll out the new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme.
The one-off extension will help agreement holders to maintain their essential contribution to sustainable food production and the restoration of nature.
In this post, we’ll share a summary of the offer and the action you’ll need to take.
About the extension
The extension will move the end date of your agreement to a later point – in this case, to 31 December 2026.
You’ll continue under the same rules, terms and conditions as your existing CS MT agreement.
Please note:
- you cannot use an extension to add, remove or replace options or capital items in an existing agreement.
- any capital works that haven’t been completed and paid for by the time the extension starts will be removed from the agreement.
- options and supplements with a duration of less than 5 years cannot be extended.
What you need to do
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will contact you within the next few weeks if your CS MT agreement is eligible for an extension.
If you want an extension, you must reply to the offer. Your agreement and payments will then continue after 31 December 2025.
If you do not want to continue with your agreement, or cannot meet the conditions of the extension, let the RPA know.
If you do not reply by the date in your extension offer, you will not be able to extend your agreement, and it will end on 31 December 2025.
If you have not heard from the RPA by 6 November and have a CS MT agreement expiring in December 2025, you can call the RPA to check.
You can read the full details of the extension, including what you need to do, on GOV.UK.
8 comments
Comment by AW posted on
and Higher Tiers that are expiring? they will still have a gap in funding while you work out how to process new applications I presume?
Comment by The Team posted on
Hello,
Customers whose Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) agri-environment agreements expired in 2024 were offered mirror agreements lasting 5 or 10 years.
On 18 September, the new CSHT service opened for applications to those who have been invited to apply, received pre-application advice, and completed any preparatory work.
Full scheme guidance and details of all CSHT actions were published on 10 September and are available on the Find funding for land or farms tool on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/find-funding-for-land-or-farms) and the CSHT GOV.UK page: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht
Best wishes,
The Team
Comment by Mike Moser posted on
But what about Higher Tier Agreements that are due to expire in December 2025. I have not been invited to apply for a new agreement yet. I would prefer to add new options into my agreement rather than be offered a mirror agreement for an additional year....
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi Mike,
Here's a link to the bit of the guidance which sets out the situation if your Higher Tier Agreement expires in 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht/csht-applicants-guide#about-the-countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht-scheme (look under 1.2.1)
Essentially, if your agreement expires in 2025, you're in one of the priority groups. The RPA is contacting people in batches and then Natural England will be in touch to give you pre-application advice (the first step to a new agreement).
I hope this helps,
Sarah
Comment by JH posted on
What do we do if we had AB15, which is now destroyed and drilled with a crop?
Comment by The Team posted on
Hello,
The best thing to do is contact the RPA, particularly if there's been a change in circumstance.
Rural Payments Agency
PO Box 69
Reading
RG1 3YD
United Kingdom
Email: ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk
Call: 03000 200 301 (charges apply).
Best wishes,
The Team
Comment by Nick Gray posted on
With respect, that doesn't answer the question. As CSHT has been invitation only so far, many agreement holders didn't have the option to apply for a new agreement to guarantee continuous funding, disadvantaging CSHT agreement holders. Could those whose agreements are due to expire in December 2025 not be offered a similar extension while the new system beds in? It is, after all, only a 12 month extension. There must be many farmers in this situation who have been doing hard, targeted work for wildlife.
Comment by The Team posted on
Hi Nick,
Thanks for your comment. We've passed this on to the policy team.
Since January, the RPA has been contacting priority agreement holders (including those with CSHT 2025 expiries) to invite them to receive pre-application advice. If your agreement ends this year, you should have already received an invitation to begin the pre-application advice process.
If you haven't heard from the RPA, you can call 03000 200 301 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm) or email ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk
Here's a link to the guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht
Best wishes,
The Team