The news was confirmed in a meeting between Defra Secretary of State Emma Reynolds and NFU President Tom Bradshaw on Tuesday 14 October.
The CS MT (Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier) scheme, which was set to expire at the end of the year, will ensure that more than 5,000 farmers will be able to continue delivering environmental benefits for the nation.
This gives these businesses welcome certainty while the reformed SFI offer is developed.
“Transparency over budgets and timelines for the rollout of the new Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme is key.”
NFU Deputy President David Exwood
NFU Deputy President David Exwood said: “We’re really pleased that Defra has listened and given certainty to so many farmers about the future of their environmental work for the year ahead. It recognises the valuable environmental work they have been delivering for many years.
“This result is a culmination of months of campaigning by the NFU. In reality it means that agreement holders will be able to continue delivering everything from wildflower corridors and habitats for farmland birds to nurturing species-rich grassland.”
How we got here
NFU campaigning has included:
- Submitting an FOI (Freedom of Information) request to Defra to establish the number of agreements expiring.
- Writing to the former Farming Minister to highlight concerns about there being a gap between CS MT agreements ending and no other agri-environment schemes opening and asking for a year roll over.
- Meeting the new Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds on her first day of the job to stress the urgency of this issue and the need for a rapid decision.
- Multiple meetings with Defra officials in Westminster and on farm to raise the concerns of expirees.
- Tabling written questions in parliament to highlight the issue and ask for an update from Defra on its plans for expirees.
- Focused lobbying at the Labour Party Conference.
Read more about our work on CSMT.
David added: “To ensure that farmers can continue to undertake these vital environmental projects as part of profitable, resilient businesses, transparency over budgets and timelines for the rollout of the new Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme is key. We will work with Defra on a long-term, strategic plan for all agri-environment schemes.”
Announcing the one-year extension to CS MT, Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle said: “We’re backing farmers with the largest investment in nature-friendly farming in history, underpinning our cast iron commitment to food security.
“This targeted extension to Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreements ensures farmers have the certainty and support they need to continue to grow their businesses, get more British food on our plates, and help restore nature.”
What do I need to do and what happens next?
By 6 November the RPA should have written to eligible farmers with details about their extension offer. The letter will contain details of how they accept their extension and the deadline they need to meet for it to be processed. If you have not heard from the RPA by 6 November and have a CS MT agreement expiring in December 2025, you can call the RPA to check.
The extension will move the end date for the expiring agreements to 31 December 2026. Defra has said you will need to continue under the same rules, terms and conditions as your existing CS MT agreement.
You must remain eligible for CS MT during the extension period and maintain management control of the land. If you have an SSSI (site of special scientific interest) on your land and you accept an offer to extend your agreement, you must contact Natural England to get consent.
Defra has also highlighted:
- you cannot use an extension to add, remove or replace options or capital items in an existing agreement.
- any capital works that haven’t been completed and paid for by the time the extension starts will be removed from the agreement.
- options and supplements with a duration of less than five years cannot be extended.
See the full guidance at: GOV.UK | Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier: extensions for 2021 agreements.
Defra has prioritised 2025 CSHT (CS Higher Tier) expirees for pre-application advice to access the new CSHT offer.
Read: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier – scheme guidance and information
If your CSHT or HLS (Higher Level Stewardship) agreement expires in 2025 and you’ve not been contacted for pre-application advice, the RPA or your local Natural England adviser should be able to provide an update.
