The Sustainable Farming Incentive's brief application window exhausted a £235m pot in six hours, leaving many farmers unable to apply and prompting NFU warnings that the process split members into "haves and have‑nots". Grants were capped at £100,000 and critics say the system favoured those who could pay agents. The NFU wants an early 2027 reopening while Defra reviews delivery and highlights planned SFI26 funding.
Farmers Left 'High, Dry and Desperate' After Six‑Hour SFI Window Drains £235m Fund
Tom Bradshaw said farmers were 'split into haves and have-nots' based on how quickly they could apply - Geoff Pugh
Industry leaders have warned that a chaotic rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) left many farmers "high, dry and desperate" after a one-off application window exhausted a £235 million fund in just six hours.
Application Frenzy and Immediate Fallout
Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), told delegates the process effectively divided members into "haves and have-nots"—those able to submit applications immediately and those who missed out. Individual grants were capped at £100,000.
The SFI pays farmers to carry out environmental actions such as maintaining hedgerows, creating ponds and taking low‑productivity land out of production to boost wildlife habitat. Demand far outstripped supply when the application window reopened, prompting frantic last‑minute submissions that some compared to buying Glastonbury tickets.
Concerns About Equity and Delivery
"Farmers charged with producing the nation's food, delivering for nature and building the resilience of their businesses have been left high, dry and desperate," Mr Bradshaw said.
Critics say the system disproportionately benefited farmers who could afford to hire advisers or agents to file claims quickly. Jake Fiennes, director of conservation at the Holkham Estate in north Norfolk, said many smaller or livestock‑focused farmers assumed they could apply later and found the funding gone.
Political Context
The controversy comes as Labour seeks to mend relations with rural communities after tensions over policies such as the family‑farm tax and a ban on trail‑hunting. Labour's minister for rural affairs, Jenny Riddell‑Carpenter, drew criticism for describing a bucolic image of rural Britain as "a nostalgic vision of Britain that never really existed" and calling it "a very far‑Right nostalgic vision."
Government Response and Next Steps
Defra says it is reviewing the delivery of SFI to find a fairer, more effective approach. A department spokesman highlighted planned SFI26 funding, saying: "Through SFI26, farmers will receive almost a third of a billion pounds each year for three years; that's nearly a billion pounds invested in resilient farming and for nature schemes."
The NFU has urged the Government to reopen the next SFI application window early in 2027 to accommodate farmers whose applications were not processed this time. Observers also warn that, as currently designed, the scheme could make it harder for ministers to meet legally binding targets to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030.
What happens next: Defra's review will determine whether future windows are staggered, whether application support is expanded for smaller holdings, and how SFI can be restructured to better support both food production and environmental goals.
Help us improve.
