Following the recent announcement regarding changes to the Environmental Land Management Schemes, FWAG is delivering an online Countryside Stewardship and SFI 2024 webinar event on Friday 12th January from 10.00am – 11.30am.
This will provide an update on the 50 new actions, increased payment rates, and some changes to the current CS.
The session will give you a good understanding of the new updates and leave you clear on how to proceed with agri-environment schemes on your own holding.
FWAG East welcomes the increase in payments and the new opportunities for farmers and landowners to create and maintain priority habitats under the schemes. We also welcome the inclusion of scrub creation, pond management and the new rolling deadline for applications - things we have been advocating for some time now. We are pleased our voice - and that of our members - has been listened to in the emerging new funding landscape.
The changes include:
Combined CS/SFI rolling application process from summer ’24. Can annually amend
50 new actions including: floodplain meadows, simple pond management, agroforestry, woodland management, peat soils, permissive access, precision farming and no-till
Payment rates increased on 1st Jan by 10% on average – grassland significantly increased
New payment rates will be applied to existing agreements
Existing habitat payments increased to match creation payments – eg. maintaining species rich grassland will rise from £182/ha to £646/ha
Premiums for actions on priority habitats – eg. manage species-rich floodplain meadows will pay £1,070/ha
Current agreement holders will be able to apply for additional agreements to include new options
To book your place on the free webinar event visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/countryside-stewardship-and-sfi-2024-update-tickets-790070140057?aff=oddtdtcreator