OFC5: Organic conversion – top fruit (updated for SFI26)
What you must do to get paid for this SFI26 action and advice on how to do it.
This is a Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) action. Read the SFI26 scheme information to understand what you’re required to do under an SFI26 agreement and how to apply.
Select ‘See all updates’ at the start of this page to find out how this action has changed for SFI26 compared with SFI24.
Duration
1 year – you can apply for this action for a maximum of 3 consecutive years to cover the period of converting to organic
How much you’ll be paid
£1,920 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that orchards which produce top fruit and permanent bush crops are converted from conventional management to organic management.
The purpose of this is to increase the overall area of land registered and managed as organic.
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
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registered as ‘in conversion’ with a Defra-licensed organic control body
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used to grow top fruit (such as apples, pears and plums) or bush fruit crops (such as gooseberries and redcurrants) as a commercial crop which is not used to produce alcoholic drinks
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an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI26 scheme information)
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registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
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declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
Land is not eligible for this action if you’ve either:
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previously registered it with an organic control body
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received organic conversion aid or funding for it
Eligible land
| Eligible land type | Eligible land cover | Compatible land use code | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent crops – horticultural | Permanent crops | TC01 |
Eligibility of protected land
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Eligible – you must:
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give notice to Natural England to get SSSI consent before the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) offer you an SFI26 agreement
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have received SSSI consent from Natural England before you do this action (read section 10.1 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details)
Historic and archaeological features: Eligible – you must get an SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.3 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this).
Available area you can enter into this action
Total available area in a land parcel (at the point of application). It’s your responsibility to check that the area you enter is eligible for this action.
You must do this action on the area entered into your SFI26 agreement. If something happens which means you cannot complete this action on some or all of the area, you must tell the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) in writing as soon as possible. Read section 12.2 ‘What to do if you cannot comply with your agreement’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this.
Rotational or static action
This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.
What to do
You must:
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protect the trees from grazing livestock and pests, such as deer and rabbits, to prevent serious damage
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manage weeds and vegetation around the base of establishing trees
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follow the organic conversion plan for the land entered into this action and associated livestock, as approved and signed off by your organic control body
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comply with organic standards on land entered into this action from the start of organic conversion period until this action’s end date
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complete organic conversion and register the land entered into this action as ‘fully organic’ before this action’s end date
When to do it
You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of this action’s duration until the land is registered as ‘fully organic’.
How to do it
It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:
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follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’
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do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim
Evidence to keep
You must keep:
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a conversion map showing the planting spacing and species within the orchard – you can mark this on any map
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copies of fruit sale receipts to show that the orchards are in commercial production and not used to produce alcoholic drinks
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a copy of the organic conversion plan approved and signed off by your organic control body
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photographs of the trees entered into this action
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a valid organic certificate and schedule for all land entered into this action – this must cover at least the full period of this action’s duration
You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.
Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action
You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.
| Scheme | Action or option codes | |
|---|---|---|
| SFI 2026 actions | CAHL1, CAHL2, CAHL3, CAHL4, CIPM2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM3, PRF1, PRF2 | |
| SFI 2024 actions | AHW1, CAHL1, CAHL2, CAHL3, CAHL4, CIPM1, CIPM2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CNUM3, CSAM1, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3 | |
| SFI 2023 actions | AHL1, AHL2, AHL3, AHL4, IPM1, IPM2, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, NUM3, SAM1 | |
| CSHT actions from 2025 | CAB16, CAB17, CAB18, CAB19, CBE4, CBE5, CPAC1, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CWS1, CWS3 | |
| CS options | AB16, AB8, BE4, BE5 | |
| ES options | No ES revenue options |
If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 5.6 ‘Land that’s already in other funding schemes or grants’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details.
You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:
- SFI 2026 actions: CHRW2, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
- SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
- SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
- CSHT actions: CHRW4
- CS options: BE3 (management of hedgerows)
Updates to this page
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The following changes have been made to this action for SFI26 (compared with the SFI24 version): • the total available area you enter into this action only applies at the point of application • minor updates to standard wording which appears in all area-based SFI actions – see ‘Eligibility of protected land’ and ‘Available area you can enter into this action’
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OFM6 removed from SFI 2024 actions.
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Where you can do this action - land needs to be used to grow top fruit as a commercial crop which is not used to produce alcoholic drinks. An eligible land type is defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ in the SFI scheme information. Eligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information. Other actions or options you can do on the same area - PRF3 added to SFI 2024 actions.
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First published.