Anna Sabine MP demands long-term funding guarantees for farmers in Commons speech

Anna Sabine MP demands long-term funding guarantees for farmers in Commons speech 

Frome and East Somerset MP urges Government to guarantee funding for eligible SFI26 applicants. 
 
Anna Sabine, Liberal Democrat MP for Frome and East Somerset, has called on the Government to guarantee long-term funding for eligible SFI26 applicants, warning that farmers are being left without support despite playing a vital role in the rural economy, food production and tackling climate change. 

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, Anna highlighted the pressures facing the nearly 200 farms in her constituency, many of which have taken on extra businesses such as cafés, ice cream companies and farm stays simply to keep their farms viable. 

She raised concerns over the handling of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), after farmers spent months preparing applications only to find the funding had already gone before they could even access the online application form on 22 September. 

The SFI rewards farmers for environmental improvements, including planting and maintaining hedgerows that store carbon and provide food and shelter for wildlife. Anna warned that locking farmers out of the scheme risks undermining the very environmental improvements the Government wants to encourage. 

Anna said: “Every time I meet farmers in Frome and East Somerset, I hear the same thing: this Government doesn't understand rural communities. 

“Farmers are working harder than ever to keep their businesses afloat, yet one of the few funding schemes available became a race to click the fastest. That isn't a fair or smart way to spend public money. 

“Farmers are the foundation of our rural economy and they are key allies in tackling climate change. If the Government is serious about growth and net zero, it cannot leave them behind. 

“The Prime Minister promises growth in every postcode, but farmers in my postcode cannot even be guaranteed the funding they need to feed our country and restore nature. 

“I have called on the Government to give farmers the certainty they deserve by guaranteeing long-term funding for all eligible SFI26 applicants.”