As outlined in the Chancellor’s announcement, we have secured a budget of £2.4 billion for the next financial year. This means we can maintain the momentum of our environmental land management (ELM) schemes, which will rise to the highest funding levels ever by 2025/26.
If you are a farmer or landowner in England, you can apply for woodland creation grants to support tree planting projects of all shapes and sizes. In this post, we’ll explain how planting the right trees in the right place can diversify your business, boost income, support food production, and enhance the environment. We’ll also share links for you to find out about the grants on offer.
In this episode of the Farming podcast, Jonathan Marsden, Head of Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) talks to Claire Robinson, Senior Countryside Adviser for the National Farmers Union (NFU). The pair discuss what you need to know as a farmer to get ready for SFI this year.
Through the Feasibility Studies competition, grants are available to support new solutions that address major on-farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities. I said I’d blog again when the competition opened. I’m pleased to say it’s now open!
Over 20,000 farmers have already applied for an SFI agreement. Apply today and choose from the 23 actions currently on offer. You will receive your first payment 4 months after your agreement starts. After that, you’ll be paid every 3 months, so you have a regular, reliable income.
Updated 29 April
You can now apply for a grant to support better calf housing. In this post, Gwyn Jones provides a recap of the grant and explains how to apply. He also shares how the grant was developed with farmers, vets and other experts through co-design.
On Wednesday 6 September, we held a webinar for farmers to learn more about the funding available in England. In this post, you can watch a recording of the session.
Landscape Recovery funds large-scale, long-term, unique projects which seek to enhance the natural environment and deliver significant environmental benefits. In this post, I'll share some of the lessons we’ve learnt and outline how the scheme continues to evolve with insight from participants and prospective participants.
In June, we launched a consultation on hedgerow protections in England. With 2 weeks to go before the consultation closes, I wanted to remind you that there’s still time for you to help shape future regulations so that they work for wildlife, the environment and farmers.
The North Norfolk: Wilder, Wetter, Better for Nature project is part of the first round of Landscape Recovery. Alongside sustainable food production, the project aims to create new habitats for nature, restore rivers and boost biodiversity on the Holkham Estate. We visited the team to see how the project will work in practice.
When we launched the Annual Health and Welfare Review, a funded annual vet visit, we said that we would continue to improve with feedback from farmers and vets. In this post, we’d like to share an update on our work which includes simplifying the process to apply, bringing BVD testing for beef in line with CHECS and BVD Free requirements and clarifying how to use the review to enable exports to the EU. We also include a video of a farmer and vet who took part in a Review.
On 27 and 28 November, you can come and put your questions to us at the CropTec in Stoneleigh.
Find us at these shows and conferences.
