Delayed Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme to open in summer 2025

The delayed Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme will open in summer 2025, the government has confirmed.

Defra said there will be a controlled rollout, with applications by invitation, on a rolling monthly basis.

It claimed it was injecting nearly £350m into farming, including "payments worth £223m to Countryside Stewardship revenue customers and £74m to Environmental Stewardship customers, administered by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA)".

Country Land and Business Association (CLA) President Victoria Vyvyan said:

“This is not new money, as the payments are for existing agreements, and the farming budget is being cut in real terms.

“The launch of the new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme is welcome, but the reality is that it is late, applications don’t open until next summer, and the opportunity for farm businesses and the environment is limited by Defra resources.

“Meanwhile family farms and businesses face having what profits they make wiped out by inheritance tax bills. Capital grant schemes have been paused, the budget to promote British food exports has been halved and the budget to provide advice to farmers entering new environmental land management schemes is being scrapped.

“Farmers and landowners are ready to make environmental improvements and boost nature recovery, while feeding the nation, but the government must back this with the funding and resources needed to grow the rural economy.”

Defra also published an additional 14 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) endorsed actions.

These will be available from summer 2025 to enable farmers and land managers to contribute benefits to grassland, heritage, and coastal sites, among others.