12/06/26 Sustainable Farming Incentive, Cereal farming in Cumbria
From Farming Today by BBC Radio 4
June 12, 2026 · 14 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the Sustainable Farming Incentive for 2026 and explores cereal farming practices in Cumbria.
The Department for Envrionment Food and Rural Affairs has announced how much money it’s making available to farmers in England through the Sustainable Farming Incentive - or SFI - for 2026. It’s something farmers and environmental organisations have been keenly anticipating. There’s a total budget of £240 million pounds., with the first application opening later this month. The SFI is the DEFRA ‘public money for public goods’ scheme that pays for farming in ways that protect and benefit the environment, support food production and improve productivity. Some farming and conservation groups say the budget isn't big enough. And all this week we’re talking about growing cereals, things like grain and oats. The latest figures just out from the industry body the AHDB, that’s the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, show that UK farmers are growing less barley than they have for the last 16 years, while oilseed rape and wheat have climbed back from last year’s lows. The Eden Valley in Cumbria is possibly better known for its livestock than its crops. But over the past couple of years, father and son Thomas and Harry Ewbank have been bucking that trend. Guided by local…
People in this episode
Host: Caz Graham
Topics covered
- Sustainable Farming
- Cereal Farming
- Environmental Protection
- Agricultural Practices
- Crop Yield
- DEFRA
Keywords
- Sustainable Farming Incentive
- Cereal Farming
- DEFRA
- Eden Valley
- Crop Yield
- Agriculture
- Environmental Protection
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Sustainable Farming Incentive, BBC Audio Bristol, Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
Places: England, UK, Eden Valley, Cumbria
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