The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) has welcomed the first signs of how the Government intends to support farmers in England, following today’s speech by DEFRA Secretary of State, Rt Hon Emma Reynolds MP, at the 2026 Oxford Farming Conference. After months of uncertainty across the sector, the TFA sees these initial announcements as important early steps towards rebuilding confidence and clarity for farming businesses.

FA Chief Executive, George Dunn, said: “After a long period of silence from the Government and frustration within the farming community, we now at least have some markers that are beginning to show a way ahead.”

The TFA is pleased to see the reopening of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) in June for smaller farmers and those without an existing agreement, this will prevent many from having to wait until the end of the year before seeing any opportunity to engage.

“However, the TFA along with other industry stakeholders will need to work closely with DEFRA on defining small farmers taking into consideration natural differences between farming sectors and ensuring that it is active, working farmers who are at the head of the queue. Additionally, those initial innovators who dipped their toe in the water with SFI and may only have a small area of their land involved should not be excluded from this June reopening either. There needs to be a de minimis level of participation allowed, rather than insisting on a complete zero involvement in existing schemes,” said Mr Dunn.

While acknowledging DEFRA’s intention to simplify SFI, the TFA cautioned against narrowing the scheme to the point that it loses widescale appeal. The Association has previously discussed with DEFRA the value of limits on land eligible for individual options and overall scheme limit on payments.

“Such limits will stop the senseless removal of vast tracts of land from productive agricultural use and reduce the incentive for land owners to remove land from tenant and contract farmers. Nevertheless, it will be essential to work closely with DEFRA to properly define those limits so that they provide a fair basis for participation and properly value the work that farmers undertake as participants in the scheme.” said Mr Dunn.

Looking ahead, the June reopening will act as a test bed for the full reopening planned for September 2026. The TFA is clear that long‑term certainty is vital.

“We must get to a position where there is clarity for the industry, not just for this year, but in the remaining years of the Parliament at the very least. A commitment to a multiannual scheme and budget is a must,” said Mr Dunn.

The TFA also welcomed the Government’s commitment of £30 million to a Farmer Collaboration Fund between 2026 and 2029, as one of the first immediate responses to the profitability review led by Baroness Minette Batters DL.

“It is essential that this money gets directly to benefit farmers and is not swallowed up in the fees of consultants and advisers. We need to draw lessons from the previous, overly complex, Farm Resilience Programme, which involved 17 different providers and where only some of those providers delivered good value for money,” said Mr Dunn.

Further positive news came with the continuation of the Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme for a further three years, supported by an additional £30 million of funding. The TFA is pleased to see that this well-run and valuable initiative will continue to provide vital assistance to farmers operating within designated landscapes.

The TFA also endorsed the Government’s focus on Dartmoor and Cumbria, building on the work of Dr Hilary Cottan. These areas remain priorities for the Association, particularly, the role of and issues faced by those farming on common land in those areas. The TFA has already encouraged the DEFRA Secretary of State to visit both areas and stressed the need for alignment on Dartmoor with the Dartmoor Land Use Management Group, which is implementing recommendations from the Fursdon Review.

Reflecting on the Secretary of State’s call for a new era of partnership between Government and farmers to drive profitability, Mr Dunn said ”The TFA will take her at her word and we look forward to engaging with her, her Ministerial colleagues and her officials in bringing that aspiration to a reality. However, it is worth highlighting that the expectations of the farming community have been dashed following similar promises made by her predecessors, the Secretary of State must not repeat the mistakes of the past.”