Fury as government closes Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme to new applications

Kitty Thompson, senior nature programme manager at the Conservative Environment Network, accused the new government of failing to build on the green subsidy framework developed under the Conservatives. "Today's announcement flies in the face of the original Conservative strategy to ensure as many farmers as possible can farm in a more nature-friendly way," she said. "At the exact moment that this scheme reached a critical mass of farmers enrolling, the government has closed it, limiting the number of farmers that can get involved. With trust between farmers and the government now gone, this move raises more questions than it answers about how the government intends to actually deliver on its commitments to support farmers and restore nature."

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