Following a review, Defra has confirmed that six new standards will be added to its flagship Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme.

For English farmers, BPS money is being phased out, with the last payment to be made in 2027, with the funding re-directed to Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS), including the SFI.

This scheme was originally launched in June 2022, with three standards that paid farmers for actions taken on arable and horticultural soils, improved grassland and moorland. Six more have now been added to include hedgerows, nutrient management and low input grassland.

In the hedgerow standard, farmers can get £10 for every 100m of mature hedge that is cut on a two or three year rotation. There is also £10 per 100m where at least one hedgerow tree is maintained.

BPS money is being phased out, with the last payment to be made in 2027, with the funding re-directed to Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS)

Within the nutrient management standard, £589 is available per year to cover the cost of a nutrient management plan by a suitably qualified adviser, and £102/ha for establishing and maintaining legumes to include red and white clover. On low input grassland, the payment rate is £151/ha (£98/ha in SDA) for those who apply minimal nutrients to land.

For land covered by a three-year SFI agreement, there is also a new management payment of £20/ha for the first 50ha (maximum of £1,000).

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