Countryside Stewardship extended following CLA lobbying

Countryside Stewardship has been extended for more than 5,000 farmers following intense lobbying by the CLA.

Thousands of Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier agreements were due to expire in December, threatening to undermine land managers' efforts to restore nature and farm sustainably.

Defra has now announced a "one-off investment of up to £70m" to support more than 5,000 farmers. The department said there are currently more than 77,000 live agri-environment agreements, with half (4.3m hectares) of farmed land in England actively managed in these schemes.

Responding, CLA President Victoria Vyvyan said:

“This decision is overdue, but it means farmers who’ve spent years restoring nature can keep going – protecting the wildlife and landscapes we all know and cherish. But it can’t end here.

“It is now urgent that Labour sets out the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme to the end of this parliament. Without this, thousands of farmers will continue to face a funding gap that puts livelihoods and years of environmental progress at risk.

“These are world-leading schemes that could transform British farming – if only government gives them the backing they deserve.”

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will write to eligible farmers with details about their extension offer.

The letter will contain details of how to accept the extension and the deadline to meet for it to be processed.

Meanwhile Defra said its SFI plans "are currently being reviewed to ensure the available funding is distributed more efficiently and more fairly. The government will publish information on the next iteration of the scheme in due course."

The CLA will continue to push the department for clarity on SFI as soon as possible.