Farmers Warn of Impact on Wildlife of Closure of Nature-Friendly Farming Scheme

Farmers say they have had to abandon planned measures to help wildlife following the abrupt closure of a flagship nature-friendly farming scheme.

The Environment Department (Defra) announced in March the immediate closure of the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), which pays farmers in England for “public goods” such as insecticide-free farming, wildflower strips and managing ponds, as it was fully allocated for this year.

It means farmers who were preparing or considering applications for a scheme they did not know would have a cut-off date are now left with financial worries and say they will not be able to implement hoped-for measures for nature.