Unlock the full potential of your SFI commitment

England’s new environmental land management scheme, the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), has been well subscribed since it opened for applications to Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) claimants in July 2023.

We now see the Expanded SFI offer open to new businesses who have not previously claimed BPS.

Many businesses are approaching their first year’s annual declaration when it is a requirement that they declare that they have achieved the aims and requirements of their agreements in that first year.

Many agreements include soil management plans (£6/ha plus £97 agreement payment), integrated pest management plans (£1,129 a year) and nutrient management plans (£652 a year), coded as SAM1, IPM1 and NUM1 respectively, or, under the Expanded offer, CSAM1, CIPM1 and CNUM1.

It is necessary for farms who have applied for NUM1 or CNUM1 to have soil sample results as an aid to producing the nutrient management report. It is therefore advisable to apply for CSAM1 to obtain funding for that soil sampling.

The plans need to be completed by the end of the first year and reviewed annually.

Under SFI, both plans must be completed by a qualified advisor who is BASIS qualified for IPM1 and FACTS qualified for NUM1. This poses a problem for many businesses, particularly farms which are predominantly grassland and who may not employ an agronomist or qualified advisor who can produce and sign off the necessary plans.

The aims of SFI options IPM1 and NUM1 require a BASIS and FACTS qualified advisor to assess and review the agreement holder’s current approach to crop production to identify more sustainable methods of production which reduce the business’s reliance on artificial fertiliser and pesticides.

These SFI options are relevant to both arable, livestock and grassland producers, whether the business wishes to cut down on the amount of herbicide used in grassland, assess its fungicide strategy in winter wheat, or optimise its organic manure usage to reduce reliance on artificial fertiliser. Every business can improve its production methods and the SFI report payments can help facilitate this change.  

Brown&Co has already supported many farmers across the country with completing their IPM1 and NUM1 plans with assistance from former agronomists Ellis Gordon in the King’s Lynn office, Elizabeth Ecclestone in Bury St. Edmunds, and Sebastian Young in our Norwich office.

Brown&Co has the expertise and knowledge to complete IPM1 and NUM1 plans along with facilitating the process of obtaining soil samples to meet agreement requirements.

For assistance in completing IPM1 and NUM1 plans, please contact your local Brown&Co office for support.