“I couldn’t believe it; it changed overnight, and it’s just another blow from the government,” says Leah Middleton, a farmer near Ludlow, reacting to the sudden closure of a key funding scheme.
Middleton is among many farmers across the Midlands expressing frustration after the government unexpectedly shut down the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).
Introduced post-Brexit, the scheme provided subsidies to support eco-friendly farming practices, such as reducing pesticide use or managing livestock grazing on hills.
Earlier this month, ministers announced that the scheme had become “fully subscribed”, leaving many farmers without anticipated support.
While the government has promised a “new and improved” version of the SFI, details remain vague, and many in the farming community are worried about the financial gap in the meantime.
Farmer Phillip Stead said losing access to the scheme would cost his farm £20,000 annually over the next three years, a major setback.
Ms Middleton, who is also the chair of Clee View Farmers, added: “I don’t know what the future holds, we’re in uncertain times and mental health is at an all-time low”.
“If I’m honest I don’t see a future.”
A government spokesperson said: “We inherited farming schemes which were underspent, with farms missing out on millions of pounds.
“The government proudly secured the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history.
“We now have a record number of farmers in schemes and more money being paid to farms than ever before; as a result, we have now hit the maximum limit of the scheme and have stopped accepting new applications.”
The original SFI was expected to assist around half of all farmers in the Midlands with the transition to more sustainable methods. A government spokesperson confirmed more information will be shared in the summer.
Farmer Rebecca Morgan agreed that the scheme had been removed with “no prior warning or consultation” and said farmers had been left with “great uncertainty”.
“Given there is such fiscal pressure at the moment, we can’t see that that’s going to be equivalent to what we’ve had already,” she said.
More details about the “improved” scheme will be revealed in the summer, a government spokesperson added.
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