Gone In Hours: £233m Farming Fund Closes As Growers Face Fresh Uncertainty

England’s latest Sustainable Farming Incentive application round has closed less than six hours after opening, prompting demands for urgent answers over support for farmers and growers who missed out.

As reported by The Guardian, Defra closed the second SFI 2026 application window at 3.48pm on Tuesday 22 September after receiving enough applications to allocate its £233 million budget. Applications still require assessment: the closure does not mean that all the money has already been paid to farmers.

The speed of the uptake has intensified concerns about access to funding intended to help businesses combine food production with environmental improvements.

The funding round included an additional £50 million announced in August and £3 million left unallocated from the first window. At its launch, the government said the support would help farms facing lower yields and rising costs develop more resilient businesses.

But the NFU said it had repeatedly warned that the available budget would fall short of demand. It argued that cashflow pressures were increasing farmers’ and growers’ need for certainty, particularly among businesses approaching the end of existing environmental agreements.

“These must come urgently, with clear information on what schemes will be available and when,” NFU vice-president Robyn Munt said of further government announcements.

For fresh produce businesses seeking support, the immediate issue is whether an application was submitted before the deadline.

Defra says applications will be processed in submission order, with agreements offered only where applicants are eligible and sufficient budget remains. Starting an application before the closure does not, by itself, secure access.

There are limited exceptions for applicants who contacted the Rural Payments Agency before the window closed because they required assisted digital support or encountered a technical problem with the application service. The agency will contact affected applicants to explain whether they can proceed. Successful applicants must accept agreement offers within 30 calendar days.

The pressure on this round also reflects the number of businesses facing a transition between agreements. Government figures published at the launch identified around 21,000 farms with environmental land management agreements due to expire by the end of February 2027. The second window allowed eligible businesses to apply before those agreements ended.

Defra has confirmed plans for another SFI offer in 2027, with details to follow. For growers unable to secure support this time, the unanswered questions are when applications will reopen and what funding will be available.