2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive

That this House notes with concern that demand for the 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive had allocated 75% of the window 1 budget within weeks of the scheme opening; pays tribute to farmers across the country, particularly smaller and hill farms, for producing food, caring for the countryside and tackling climate change, during a cost of doing farming crisis; further notes that for many of them SFI is now their only direct financial support; expresses concern that England remains an outlier among European nations in providing no direct payments to farmers, making properly funded and accessible environmental schemes essential to their survival; recognises that farmers need confidence that schemes will remain open and funded during their advertised duration; also notes that the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pledged there would be no more sudden and unexpected closures of farming schemes following the abrupt suspension of SFI in 2024; believes that SFI26 must remain open and accessible to all farmers who need it; regrets that farmers are being forced into a race against the clock to apply before funds run out; and calls on the Government to guarantee sufficient, long-term funding for all eligible SFI26 applicants regardless of landscape or designation, by committing to an additional £1 billion a year for environmental land management schemes, so that farmers have the certainty they need to invest in nature-friendly farming, food security and climate resilience.