UK Farming Incentive Budget Exhausts in Six Hours

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs exhausted the 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) budget of £233 million in just six hours on Tuesday. The funding round opened at 10 a.m. and closed by 4 p.m., despite including an additional £50 million previously announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

The SFI replaces the EU's common agricultural policy by paying farmers to maintain soil and nature rather than basing payments on land ownership. Thousands of farmers were unable to apply, with some facing five-hour wait times for technical support during the brief application window.

Environmental groups and farming associations described the rapid depletion as unprecedented. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and The Wildlife Trusts warned that a first-come, first-served approach undermines legally binding targets to restore 30% of nature by 2030. The National Farmers' Union called for urgent budget transparency and a clear plan for the 2027 scheme, noting that farmers are already struggling with high fertilizer costs and a summer of extreme heat and drought.