The RPA has made some temporary changes to help those struggling to meet the requirements of their Countryside Stewardship (CS), Environmental Stewardship (ES), Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), and SFI pilot agreements because of the recent bad weather.
These changes are retroactive from October 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024. They give you extra time to finish tasks or replant crops if needed. You can find the full list of adjustments on the GOV.UK website under “Wet weather: temporary support for farmers in 2024.” and is linked here.
Make sure to keep your farm records updated with field operations, invoices, and photos showing your efforts. Also, note any instances where bad weather has caused problems.
If you think you might still have trouble meeting the adjusted requirements or if your specific needs aren’t covered, get in touch with the RPA for more help. For more details, check out the info here for Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship, and here for the Sustainable Farming Incentive.