Environment Secretary Steve Reed has announced that farmers in England will receive new payments for cleaning up waterways near their land. The move is part of changes to the post-Brexit sustainable farming incentive (SFI) scheme, which was frozen earlier this year and is expected to reopen in 2024.
Speaking at the National Farmers' Union (NFU) water summit in West Yorkshire, Reed said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) would reform the SFI to include more actions focused on water quality. Agricultural pollution currently affects 40% of Britain's lakes and rivers, with fertiliser and animal waste washing off farmland.
The NFU also launched a new programme to help farmers measure pollution in nearby waterways, enabling them to take steps to improve water quality and track progress. The summit was held on the farm of NFU vice-president Rachel Hallos, where two reservoirs were completely dry, highlighting concerns over water supply and food production.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw noted that farmers are increasingly dealing with extreme weather due to climate breakdown. Reed suggested making it easier for farmers to build reservoirs on their land, criticising the current planning system as 'too slow'. He indicated that Defra is exploring options to streamline permissions, similar to arrangements already in place for the National Trust and RSPB.
