England's sustainable farming fund exhausted in just six hours

England's Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme saw an unprecedented rush this week, with the entire £233m budget allocated within six hours of applications opening at 10am on Tuesday. By 4pm the same day, the government confirmed the scheme was closed, with no funds remaining.

SFI is part of a payment system that replaced the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, rewarding farmers for protecting nature, soil health and other public goods rather than simply for farming land. For many farmers, this was their first chance to apply since the scheme abruptly closed in March 2025. The next application window will not open until 2027.

Criticism over budget management

Environmental groups expressed shock at how quickly the funding disappeared. A representative from The Wildlife Trusts compared the rush to the scramble for Oasis concert tickets. A spokesperson from the RSPB said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) lacks a proper mechanism to manage the budget, effectively turning the scheme into a first-come, first-served system.

Many farmers who experienced technical issues with their applications had to wait up to five hours to reach support staff — meaning some only got help after the scheme had already closed.

A difficult year for farmers

This year has been especially hard on farmers, with crops damaged by heat and drought, while fertiliser costs surged due to the war in Iran. Industry representatives warn that the thousands of farmers who missed out on funding will struggle to remain resilient, and that this will undermine the government's legally binding target to restore 30% of nature by 2030. The farmers' union is urging the government to urgently produce a more transparent plan for the 2027 scheme. Prime Minister Andy Burnham had announced an additional £50m in funding in August, which was already included in this funding round.