Uncertainty for farmers over nature protection payments

THOUSANDS of farmers may have to abandon long-running nature projects as Government payments they receive for environmental benefits are set to expire at the end of this year, with no confirmed replacement.

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Information obtained by the National Farmers' Union (NFU) under freedom of information laws shows that 5,830 Countryside Stewardship (CS) agreements will end in December.

These schemes are older Government initiatives that provide financial incentives to farmers to implement measures such as insecticide-free farming, wildflower strips and flourishing hedgerows — all of which contribute to Government nature targets.

Many are being phased out as part of a transition towards new post-Brexit environmental land management schemes, such as the flagship Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).

But in March, the Government caused uproar when it abruptly closed applications to the SFI because it had been fully allocated for the year.