Thousands of farmers will receive extensions to continue restoring nature and farming sustainably, supporting long-term food security.
Farmers will continue to be rewarded for their vital role in sustainable food production and nature's recovery with the offer of one-year extensions to their Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreements, Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle confirmed today (Wednesday 15 October).
Countryside Stewardship gives farmers and land managers the opportunity to be paid for environmental work - such as planting wildflower margins that boost pollinators and managing hedgerows to create vital habitats for birds and small mammals - alongside sustainable food production.
With agreements set to expire on 31 December this year, the targeted, time-limited extension is being offered to ensure farmers have the support they need to continue their vital activities to restore nature and produce food sustainably. This is part of our plan to give farmers long term strategic certainty.
The one-off investment of up to £70m supports more than 5,000 farmers and reflects our commitment to working with the sector to build a stronger, more profitable farming future. There are currently more than 77,000 live agri-environment agreements - the highest number in history - and half (4.3m hectares) of farmed land in England is actively managed in these schemes.
Funding for farmers through the Environmental Land Management schemes, which include the Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier scheme, will increase by 150% to £2 billion by 2029, helping to boost rural economies, strengthen domestic food production and enhance the UK's natural environment for future generations.
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.
Plans for the Sustainable Farming Incentive are currently being reviewed to ensure the available funding for that scheme is distributed more efficiently and more fairly. The government will publish information on the next iteration of the scheme in due course.
Investing in nature through the government's Plan for Change is central to securing Britain's future economic growth, developing a sustainable, resilient and profitable farming sector, and ensuring long-term food security.
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will write 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.
