The Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) Window 2 opened on 22 September with a £233m budget, later increased to £253m.
It closed at 15:48 having been open for less than 6 hours. For many farmers this was their first opportunity to access SFI since the previous scheme closed without notice in March 2025. For over 21,000 existing agreement holders, it was the opportunity to secure ongoing funding for environmental actions already being delivered on their farms. 12,500 existing agreement holders failed to secure a new agreement on Tuesday.
Over 100 Conservative MPs, including Richard, have called for answers and action after the shambolic management of SFI26. You can read their letter to Dame Angela Eagle here.
Richard Fuller MP commented:
Over the past two years, farmers have had to contend not only with events outside their control, such as extreme weather and international conflict, but also with the uncertainty created by the Family Farm Tax, Family Business Tax, Fertiliser Tax, the effective removal of BPS and now the lamentable launch and management of SFI26.
British farming needs certainty, stability and a government that understands the consequences of its decisions for farm businesses, food production and the environment.
