Of the 15,063 applications created for SFI26 Window 2, 12,204 were submitted before the window closed on 22 September. At the point of closure there were 2,859 applications that had been started not submitted.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI26) budget has been fully allocated, and the offer is now closed. Farmers who did not secure a Window 2 agreement may have opportunities to apply for future SFI offers, and we plan to make an SFI27 offer available. We are working with farming representative organisations and the wider sector to consider how we refine the scheme for SFI27 and will share further details as early as possible. Other funding opportunities remain available, including Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, woodland improvement and agroforestry agreements through the new Expression of Interest process, as well as Environmental Land Management Capital Grants and other farming grants.

Under the Pensions Act 2008, every employer must automatically enrol all eligible workers into a qualifying workplace pension scheme and make at least a minimum contribution to their pension.

Self-employed individuals, which can include farm owners and operators, are not eligible for Automatic Enrolment because there is no employer to enrol them or make employer contributions on their behalf. While Automatic Enrolment does not apply to this group, the National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) must accept individuals who are self-employed and wish to join a pension scheme.

The Pensions Commission has been asked to explore wider steps to improve pension outcomes, including for the self-employed. The Commission published its interim report on 19 May 2026, setting out areas of focus on the longer-term challenges around retirement adequacy, especially for those at the greatest risk of Undersaving including the self-employed The Government will set out its plans following the Pensions Commission’s final report, which is due in early 2027.

This Government is committed to our horticulture and arable sectors and their role in providing home‑grown produce. The Horticulture Sector Plan is an independent sector led plan aiming to identify how the sector can increase productivity, profitability and strengthen the contribution of domestic production to our national food security. The plan is relying on sector expertise to set out a clear vision for growth and a practical pathway to deliver it. Fresh beans and pulses grown as horticultural crops are in scope. While pulses cultivated as arable crops are outside scope, they are a vital part of domestic agricultural production.

Defra engages regularly with growers and industry stakeholders to understand challenges affecting the beans and pulse sector and their supply chains.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 June 2026 to the hon. Member for Chester South and Eddisbury, UIN 2499.

Whilst the impact of the Land Use Framework and Clean Power 2030 Action Plan on tenant farmers has not been directly assessed, this Government is committed to ensuring tenant farmers are included and treated fairly in land use decisions including the use of agricultural land for renewable energy.

The Land Use Framework provides data and principles to help safeguard our best agricultural land, and commits to giving tenant farmers a greater role in land use decision making through reforming the Farm Tenancy Forum, supporting farmers to stay on their land and improving access to business opportunities.

I refer the hon. Member to the information available on GOV.UK which outlines grant funding for peatland restoration and management (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-funding-boost-to-protect-englands-iconic-peatlands) and trees and woodland grants (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/where-to-find-grants-for-trees-and-woodland). Additionally, Environmental Land Management schemes include actions that support peatland, permanent grassland, hedgerows, woodland and mature trees.

Genetic technologies offer huge potential for British farmers, enabling development of crops that are more nutritious, resistant to pests and disease, resilient to climate change and more environmentally beneficial.

The department is supporting innovation through Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, funding a £12.5 million competition specifically for precision breeding, including drought resistant crops. Defra’s Genetic Improvement Networks Platform also supports £15m crop breeding R&D for priority climate resilience traits, including drought and heat.

The Government has allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. On 16 June 2025, following the 2025 Spending Review, Defra set out indicative funding figures (https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2025/06/16/spending-review-2025-a-commitment-to-farming/ ) for the 2026-27 to 2028-29 financial years, including plans to increase the amount of money paid to farmers under Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes from £800m in 2023/24 towards £2bn by 2028/29.

We have also recently published our Annual Report for 2025/26, which sets out that we spent £1.8bn on ELM schemes. This includes the Sustainable Farming Incentive, CS Higher Tier and ELM Capital.

Agriculture is devolved. Defra administers farming policy in England, while the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive determine their own agricultural policies and support schemes. As part of this arrangement, funding for agriculture and fisheries was baselined and un-ringfenced in each devolved governments block grant from 2024-25.

The Barnett formula, which aims to give each country the same pounds-per-person change in funding, will apply to any future changes in UK Government funding from 2025-26 for agriculture and fisheries in the usual way. This is the normal operation of funding arrangements for the devolved governments. It is for devolved governments to allocate funding as they see fit and they are accountable to their devolved legislatures for those decisions.

The Government is acting in England to support farmers and give them clarity to plan and invest. The recently published Farming Roadmap and Farming Profitability Review response set out a range of short-term and long-term actions. These include investment in ELM funding, support for and investment in innovation and technology, and action to make supply chains fairer. The government has also established the Farming and Food Partnership Board, bringing together senior leaders from farming, food, retail and finance to drive profitability and strengthen food security. Defra continues to cooperate openly and transparently with devolved government colleagues on these frameworks – as well as ongoing policy development across the four nations - via informal and formal structures established under the Common Framework for Agricultural Support.

Defra remains committed to supporting farmers through Environmental Land Management and stewardship schemes. We are working with the RPA to improve scheme delivery. We are also strengthening our communications with farmers, providing clearer information and greater certainty where possible. We are focused on ensuring these schemes support both profitable farm businesses and environmental outcomes.

Defra is committing £1.8bn for Environmental Land Management schemes in 25/26 rising to £2bn by 28/29.

Recent levels of uptake in both Countryside Stewardship capital offers, and the Sustainable Farming Incentive demonstrate continued farmer confidence in these schemes.

Defra engages regularly with farmers, veterinary professionals, scientists, devolved governments and livestock industry representatives on bluetongue virus (BTV-3). Baroness Hayman met industry leaders and veterinary representatives on 8 September to discuss the outbreak. The Secretary of State is also engaging directly with the farming sector, including at the NFU’s Back British Farming Day event on 9 September. Defra is supporting the industry-led Battle Bluetongue campaign to encourage vaccination, and signposting support through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. Defra will continue to work closely with industry and scientific experts to inform its response.

Defra recognises that its vital farms have the workforce they need to harvest their great British produce and grow their businesses. We set out in the Farming Roadmap that to build clear skills pathways for a modern farming sector we are working across government, including Skills England, industry and with training providers, to strengthen professional routes into and through the sector, providing accessible pathways for people to enter, progress and build long term careers in agriculture that reflect the sector’s diverse and evolving needs.

We have just confirmed the 2027 Seasonal Worker visa allocations for the horticulture and poultry so businesses can plan the year ahead with confidence and are working on Sector Growth Plans for these sectors to explore how our growers can be more profitable, productive and grow whilst also working within key government policy parameters, including migration policy.