Grant Advice

Sustainable Farming Incentive Defra has recently announced the impending release of new application windows for the Sustainable Farming Incentive, (SFI) to offer grant funding to horticultural and agricultural businesses for the deliverance of environmental benefit. The preliminary round opens in June (for businesses of under 50ha), before expanding to larger businesses in September. This presents […]

Ceres Rural is advising farmers and land managers to take early note of emerging changes to the 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), following announcements made at the NFU Conference, which signal a marked shift in both the structure and financial framework of the scheme. Current indications suggest that the 2025 SFI offer will be limited […]

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, delivered an important update at the Oxford Farming Conference, outlining new measures and funding opportunities designed to support farmers and strengthen the agricultural sector. This comes following the recent announcement of increasing the inheritance tax relief for family farms, with the Agricultural and Business Property […]

The 2025 Budget brings a range of changes – some positive, some challenging – across the rural landscape. The full transferability of the £1 million APR and BPR bands between spouses is welcome and provides more flexibility for succession planning. However, increased minimum wages will put additional strain on farm businesses, especially those relying on seasonal or […]

The latest announcement from Defra is exciting: a new national forest will be in the Oxford-Cambridge (Ox-Cam) corridor. This Ox-Cam national forest is the second to be announced, following the Western Forest announced earlier this year. A further location is due to be decided in early 2026, reportedly either in the Midlands or the North […]

Welcome to the Ceres Rural Farming Update, a publication that provides independent insights on agricultural issues, from policy and grant funding, to administrative updates and key market information. Read the update here. For a printer-friendly version, click here. Please consider the environment before printing this publication. A ‘PLUS‘ version of this publication is now available to […]

This morning, following successful lobbying efforts, Defra confirmed that one-year extensions will be offered to 5,000 Mid Tier Countryside Stewardship agreement holders whose schemes are due to end on 31st December 2025. These extensions will provide a crucial bridge for farms that currently have no alternative funding route once their agreements expire, helping farms maintain […]

As UK farms continue to explore innovative ways to diversify and future-proof their businesses, recreational fisheries are emerging as a compelling option – particularly for farms with suitable topography and water resources.   Why Fishing? Angling is one of the UK’s most popular outdoor activities, with over 2 million regular participants. As interest continues to grow […]

It is now over a year since the introduction of mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). The Environment Act 2021 stipulates a minimum compulsory requirement of 10% uplift for a 30-year period, however some local planning authorities are requiring a greater uplift to offset development. Around half of BNG requirements are currently delivered on-site by developers […]