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Farmer's Funding Lottery: Scheme Gone in Hours
11 Oct
Summary
- Environmental funding scheme closed in under six hours.
- Farmer compares application to winning Glastonbury tickets.
- Minister exploring alternatives to first-come, first-served.
A Kent farmer described the application process for a new environmental funding scheme as akin to winning Glastonbury tickets, after the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI26) closed in less than six hours. George Holdstock, a fourth-generation farmer, found the speed of the application window's closure surprising.
The SFI26 scheme, part of the UK's post-Brexit agricultural policy, aims to financially support farmers for environmentally friendly land management practices. The £253 million allocated for this window was fully subscribed rapidly after opening.
Mr. Holdstock, who manages a mixed farm near Canterbury, had plans to use the funding for tree planting, habitat creation for birds, and trialling direct drilling to improve soil health and sequester carbon. Missing out this year is disappointing, but he warns that repeated misses could be detrimental to his farm's sustainability efforts.
In response to such rapid closures, Farming Minister Stephen Morgan stated that alternatives to the first-come, first-served application model are being explored. Mr. Holdstock suggested a fairer system might involve a month-long window that prioritizes proposals with the most significant environmental benefits.
