Sustainable Farming Incentive window closes in six hours

The second application window for the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) closed in approximately six hours on 22 September. The total available budget for this window was £233 million, which included a £50 million boost announced in August and £3 million unallocated from the first window.

High demand led to more than half of the budget being allocated by 2:00 PM, with the full budget exhausted shortly thereafter. The rapid uptake drew criticism from the Country Land and Business Association, with Deputy President Joe Evans stating that the insufficient budget would leave many farmers unable to continue delivering for the environment.

Farming Minister Stephen Morgan defended the scheme, stating it was designed to be simpler and fairer to support food production and sustainable land management. The National Farmers' Union noted that the quick closure reflects significant demand from farmers seeking to invest in farm resilience amidst current cashflow pressures.