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Defra has shocked the rural sector with its decision to close the window for applications to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), but what does this mean for farmers moving forward? The following is a summary of the key details of the announcement along with some thoughts on its far-reaching implications: Defra closed the window for […]

Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) is the system used for grading the quality of agricultural land in England and Wales, with its primary function being to inform decision making about the appropriate sustainable development of land. The planning system is broadly designed to protect the ‘best and most versatile’ (BMV) agricultural land from significant, inappropriate or […]

Farming & food Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme closed with no notice and now being ‘reset’ The government caused a lot of anger and consternation when it closed the scheme on Tuesday 11 March.  It said that more farmers had applied than in previous years and so the budget limit had been reached.  There are […]

Rural economy & property Update on grants and rural policy in England The Secretary of State Steve Reed and his team made a number of positive announcements at the NFU Conference.  Here are the ones we think are most important: ELM capital grants – all 4,000 applications that were held up will be processed and […]

Hedgerows play an important role in the countryside. Traditionally they were used to mark boundaries and contain livestock, but now their wider role is much more recognised. They reduce flooding. They control soil erosion and protecting fields from wind. They act as a barrier to fertilisers and pesticides entering water. And, of course, they are […]

In the Know: The Land Use Framework explained The Government has issued a 12-week consultation on a Land Use Framework for England which seeks to establish the principles, data and tools which can be used to improve decision-making about the competing pressures for land. It is hoped that the framework will help landowners, farmers, local […]

Farming & food EU’s draft ‘Vision for Agriculture & Food’ provides roadmap for farm policy It is always interesting to see what other countries are doing and a leaked draft of the EU’s policy, which is still subject to change before it is officially published and then negotiated, has a number of main themes: Direct […]

Defra announced on 11 March 2025 that it would no longer be accepting new applications to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme. However, existing agreements will continue and the following rules still apply to those. Details of a revised SFI are expected in the summer.  Tens of thousands of farmers in England have now signed […]

Farming & food Farm Rents in England in 2023/24 The average rent for a Farm Business Tenancy (FBT), across all farm types, rose by 3% in the year to 28 February 2024, according to the latest data from Defra.  The data comes from the Farm Business Survey sample of 1,373 farms but the sample for […]

It feels like 2025 will be a big year for farming, food and land use policy. The Government has promised to consult on and publish at least three new plans and strategies – the farming roadmap, the food strategy and the land use framework. Plus, there is likely to be much more debate about the […]

Farming & food Secretary of State Steve Reed’s speech at the Oxford Farming Conference  (England) Although some commentators have criticised the speech as not containing detail on what the government will spend on the sector, it feels like there was a lot in it and it was carefully structured.  Some subjects he has spoken about […]

Taking a proactive approach to the challenges facing the land-based sector – from changes to the tax regime through to the growing impact of climate change – may help businesses to navigate the uncertainty and put them in a stronger position as we move through 2025. Rhodri Thomas, Strutt & Parker’s Head of Rural, says: […]