The Government has announced a new package of support for farmers affected by the prolonged dry weather, including additional funding through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and support for investment in on-farm water storage.
The announcement comes as drought and prolonged dry weather continue to put pressure on farming businesses across England, affecting water availability, crops, grazing and forage supplies.
Among the measures announced is an additional £50 million for the second window of SFI 2026, bringing the total available for new agreements to £290 million. The next window is expected to open to all farmers in September.
The Government has also announced up to £15 million for the Water Management Grant, which is expected to reopen in the autumn and will support investment in on-farm reservoirs for crop irrigation.
Further measures include temporary flexibilities for farmers with Environmental Land Management agreements and changes designed to make it easier for some businesses to manage water abstraction during the dry conditions.
For many farming businesses, however, the announcement is about more than responding to the immediate effects of this summer.
Nicola Massey, Agriculture Partner at Forrester Boyd, comments:
“The pressures caused by the prolonged dry weather have been significant for many farming businesses and these additional measures will therefore be welcome.
“What this summer has also highlighted is the importance of thinking longer term. Water availability, soil management and resilience to periods of extreme weather are becoming increasingly important considerations when farmers are making investment decisions.
“The additional SFI funding and support for water storage could create opportunities for some businesses, but any investment needs to work commercially for the farm. It is worth looking at what is available and considering how it fits with your wider business plans before making any decisions.”
Farmers interested in the measures can read the full Government announcement and guidance here.
If you would like to discuss how the latest support measures or future investment could affect your farming business, please contact Nicola Massey or a member of our Agriculture team.
All data and figures referred to in our news section are correct at the date of publishing and should not be relied upon as still current.
