An FOI (freedom of information) request to Defra has revealed that 5,820 CS (Countryside Stewardship) agreements will end in December, leaving farmers with no clear pathway forward.
With the new SFI scheme still not available and the CS Higher Tier option only available to a handful of farmers invited for pre-application, many farmers risk being forced to abandon projects that have supported biodiversity and environmental delivery for decades.
“This is an opportunity for Defra to show it values farmers not just for producing food, but for the environmental benefits they deliver on behalf of the nation.”
NFU Deputy President David Exwood
No certainty
NFU Deputy President David Exwood said: “Farmers have long been the custodians of our countryside and many farmers have had agri-environment agreements for 30 years. Through these agreements, farmers have done everything from creating wildflower corridors for pollinators and growing feed for farmland birds to nurturing species-rich grassland, all of which contribute to the government’s environmental targets.
“But without a plan from Defra about the future of these schemes, they’re left with a difficult decision – to either continue their environmental work, potentially putting them out of pocket, or to put this land back into food production, which isn’t always a straightforward or immediately available option. Certainty is a vital ingredient in farming and right now, that is missing altogether.”
Decision needed soon
The NFU is urging Defra to set out a clear way forward before agreements come to an end on 31 December, including:
- Allowing existing CS Mid Tier agreements to roll over for one year, preventing an immediate loss of environmental delivery while giving Defra time to develop a long-term plan.
- Delivering the new SFI scheme quickly to ensure farmers can enter agreements without losing the financial means to deliver for the environment.
Delays risk undoing environmental work
NFU Deputy President David Exwood said he had written to Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner to highlight the NFU's concerns and ask Defra for a clear way forward.
He added: “This is an opportunity for Defra to show it values farmers not just for producing food, but for the environmental benefits they deliver on behalf of the nation.
“To ensure farmers can continue to undertake these vital environmental projects as part of profitable, resilient businesses – an ambition we share with the government – Defra must provide a clear plan for their future, and urgently.
“Any further delay risks undoing decades worth of positive environmental action.”
