Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Bishop of Chester (Bishops (affiliation)). It was answered on Thursday, 23 April 2026.

Sustainable Farming Incentive: Flood Prevention and Drought Resilience

Question: My Lords, the Minister will be aware that there are 28,000 agri-environment agreements which cease either this year or next, and the applicants must wait for agreements to expire before they can start a new SFI application. We can imagine in terms of sustainability and the welfare of our farming community that those who have such environments need assurance that they will be able to apply and to continue delivering the outcomes without a break in their payment. Can the Minister give such an assurance?

Answer: As I mentioned in my initial response, the window for all applications will open in September. We are also trying to give a bit more stability around the SFI. The aim is to completely minimise any changes from now onwards, because farmers need stability to support long-term planning. Having said that, there may be changes because we have targets that we want to reach and outcomes that we want to see, but the right reverend Prelate makes a good point.

Secondary information