Farming leaders welcomed a long-awaited government announcement which has finally begun to lift the "cloud of uncertainty" hanging over environmental payment schemes.
Defra has set out plans for an "accelerated roll-out" of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) - a key part of the three-tiered Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, aimed at replacing EU subsidies which are already being phased out after Brexit.
It rewards farmers and landowners for work to protect wildlife, enhance landscapes and improve habitats.
Six new SFI standards have been added for 2023, offering payments for actions on hedgerows, grassland, arable and horticultural land, pest management and nutrient management.
They build on the three existing standards to improve soil health and moorlands introduced last year – for which nearly 1,900 farmers already have agreements.
East Anglia's farmers have been calling for more clarity on the payments for months, while their existing support payments dwindled and their cost pressures soared.
Cath Crowther, East regional director of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), said: "Land managers in the East of England have had the cloud of uncertainty around future funding schemes for so long – this is now crunch time and starts to finally bring a degree of clarity.
"These standards and payment rates are broadly in line with what was expected and will encourage many arable farmers in our region to take the leap into the new agricultural schemes.
"The move towards payment for environmental delivery is a welcome one – it will benefit the planet, the public and, in time, the farmer. It places England as a world leader in greener agriculture. However, this major change in agricultural policy comes at a time of rampant inflation, labour shortages and constant extreme weather events.
"The stakes for farmers could not be higher, and it is incumbent on the UK government to make these schemes accessible to all farms, thus giving the industry the confidence we need to make these schemes work."
The government also detailed what farmers will be paid for under the second ELM tier - an enhanced version of the exisiting Countryside Stewardship scheme - adding 30 additional actions by the end of 2024 to more than 250 already available.
Defra says "Countryside Stewardship Plus" will reward farmers for "coordinated action to support climate and nature aims" including managing floodplain meadows to reduce flood risk and improve biodiversity, restoring peatland for carbon capture, and managing woodland.
The department also confirmed it will open applications for the second round of the top-tier Landscape Recovery scheme in the spring to support "ambitious large-scale nature projects" involving groups of land managers and tenant farmers working together.
Zoe Leach, East Anglia regional director for the National Farmers' Union (NFU) said the announcements brought "some of the much-needed clarity" demanded by the industry.
"It’s encouraging that Defra has provided us with more detail on the future of the ELM programme and brought forward a broader, more flexible offer for the Sustainable Farming Incentive," she said.
"Information on the six new standards for SFI 2023, payments rates, as well as the evolving Countryside Stewardship scheme, is also useful.
"Our farmers and growers are making long-term decisions that are essential to running viable and profitable food producing businesses so it’s vital they have the full scheme details as soon as possible and know how the different schemes will work together.
"A speedy application and payment process will also be key to give farm businesses some much-needed security."
Environment secretary Thérèse Coffey, who is also the Suffolk Coastal MP, said: "Farmers are at the heart of our economy - producing the food on our tables as well as being the custodians of the land it comes from.
"These two roles go hand-in-hand and we are speeding up the roll-out of our farming schemes so that everyone can be financially supported as they protect the planet while producing food more sustainably."
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