Apology for 'error' over nature farming scheme

THOUSANDS of English farmers who had started applications for nature-friendly farming payments before the scheme was abruptly shut will have the chance to apply for funding.

- EMILY BEAMENT

The Government caused uproar when it announced on March 11 that the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), which pays farmers in England for “public goods” such as insecticide-free farming, wildflower strips and managing ponds and hedgerows, was fully allocated for this year.

At the time, it said it had stopped accepting new applications for the incentive - the largest part of the new environmental land management (Elms) programme which has replaced EU-era farming subsidies with immediate effect.