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The England Woodland Creation Offer will become part of the Local Nature Recovery scheme – one of the new environmental land management (ELM) schemes – from 2025. Farmers and landowners were today urged to apply for a share of £25 million in funding to support woodland creation and tree planting

Guidance on how the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) will work for farmers.  This page is about the full SFI scheme, which opened for applications from 30 June 2022. If you’re looking for information about the SFI pilot, read the guidance specific to the pilot.

Complete this expression of interest (EOI) form if you want to take part in the Forestry Commission’s tree health pilot scheme.

Today we’re announcing more details about the new slurry storage grants that we will be launching later this year, as part of the Farming Investment Fund. Every year, farms in England generate and use millions of tonnes of livestock slurry. Slurry contains lots of nutrients and material that can benefit soil health and support crop growth. It can, though, create significant pollution to our environment. Though some farmers have plans, equipment and infrastructure in place to manage the nutrients in their slurry and manure well, others face significant financial barriers to having sufficient slurry storage. This is an area that has not been effectively regulated in the past. As part of the agricultural transition, we want this to change.

Co-designed between Lancaster University and Yordas Group, the £4.9 million NextGenChem programme will work with 300 SMEs during two years to enable chemical using industries across Lancashire to innovate using ‘next generation’ chemistry. The programme is available free-of-charge for eligible Lancashire-based small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that produce or use chemicals. Businesses that use chemicals and would like to learn more should contact [email protected].

The Transforming Food Production programme is showcasing new innovations that will benefit dairy farmers in the UK and internationally. Dairy-Tech took place slightly later this year on 7 April 2022 due to a reschedule, enforced by the Omicron wave at the start of the year. The Transforming Food Production (TFP) team had been waiting patiently since February for the opportunity to exhibit at the event. We were excited to find our exhibition stand located in the Innovation zone, adjacent to the presentation stage. This location provided an excellent vantage point to speak to delegates focused on the latest innovations emerging across the sector, whilst also allowing us to listen in to the exciting presentations during the day.

On 12 April, Defra announced support for farmers in England who wish to leave the industry in a managed way through the Lump Sum Exit Scheme. In return, farmers will be expected to either rent or sell their land or surrender their tenancy to create opportunities for new entrants and farmers wishing to expand their businesses. The Scheme is open until 30 September 2022. Read more information on GOV.UK.

The Government has announced steps to assist farmers with the availability of fertilisers for the coming growing season to help address uncertainty amongst growers and keep costs down for farmers. With agricultural commodities closely linked to global gas prices, farmers are facing rising costs for inputs including manufactured fertiliser, due to the process depending on gas. Environment Secretary, George Eustice has announced that changes to the use of urea fertiliser will be delayed by at least a year. The delay has been made to help farmers manage their costs and give them more time to adapt in the light of a global rise in gas prices leading to pressures on the supply of ammonium nitrate fertilisers. A consultation on restrictions was launched a year ago, in order to reduce ammonia pollution in the air. When restrictions are introduced, they will include the use of ammonia inhibitors rather than a complete ban. In a move to further support farmers, revised and improved statutory guidance has been published on how farmers should limit the use of slurry and other farmyard manure at certain times of year. This will provide clarity to farmers on how they can use slurry and other manures during autumn and winter to meet agronomic needs. This guidance will provide more clarity and has been developed with farmers and farming bodies. Farmers will be further supported through new slurry storage grants as of this year, helping meet the Farming Rules for Water and reducing dependence on artificial fertilisers by storing organic nutrients until needed or for onward processing.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, market volatility has significantly increased. Here we have all the latest data, analysis, and insight from our industry experts to help guide you through market movements and provide a clear, impartial view of what it all means. We also include the most relevant AHDB tools and resources that can help you measure and mitigate the impact on your own business. Read more information on ahdb.org.uk.

The Landscape Recovery scheme provides funding for long-term, large-scale projects in England. It is a competitive scheme and you can apply for the first round between 1 February and 24 May 2022.  Read more information on GOV.UK.