News and communications

The claim window for existing Countryside Stewardship (CS) revenue and Environmental Stewardship (ES) agreements has opened on Thursday 14 March.

• Updated: 14 March 2024

Government announces an extension to the existing scope of Agricultural Property Relief.

• Updated: 7 March 2024

Environment Secretary announces major updates for farmers, with an increase in funding and reduction in red tape this summer.

• Updated: 4 January 2024

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has confirmed that 97% of farmers have received their final BPS payment in the first few days of the payment window.

• Updated: 4 December 2023

Farming groups and landowners encouraged to bid for share of £2.5 million Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund

• Updated: 23 October 2023

The first farmers to sign up for the new and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) have this week received their first payment.

• Updated: 18 October 2023

The new and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) has started to accept applications from today.

• Updated: 18 September 2023

The 2024 Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreement application deadline has been extended until the 15th September.

• Updated: 18 August 2023

Funding drives forward government’s commitment to increase farm productivity and build on our world-leading animal health and welfare standards

• Updated: 26 July 2023

Mark Spencer drives tractor to Parliament to shine a light on mental health in rural communities

• Updated: 6 July 2023

Read this update for information about our schemes, including Countryside Stewardship, Environmental Stewardship, the Basic Payment Scheme and the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

• Updated: 14 April 2023

Application window opens for farmers and landowners to apply for 2024 Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreements

• Updated: 21 March 2023

Farmers urged to step up and take advantage of benefits of increased payments under new, fairer farming system

• Updated: 5 January 2023

95.3% of farmers receive their full payments in the first few days of the payment window

• Updated: 6 December 2022

£16.5 million more funding for research and development in farming

• Updated: 22 August 2022

Plans to make Direct Payments in two instalments announced to help farmers with cashflow

• Updated: 6 May 2022

Read this update for information about our schemes, including Countryside Stewardship, Environmental Stewardship and the Basic Payment Scheme, as well as the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Landscape Recovery and the Lump Sum…

• Updated: 22 April 2022

Government publishes response to the Lump Sum Exit Scheme and delinked payments in England consultation.

• Updated: 8 February 2022

The Rural Payment Agency looks back on 2021

• Updated: 12 January 2022

£1.7bn of payments delivered to farmers in the first few days of the payment window

• Updated: 7 December 2021