A total of £435.6 million has been paid out to farmers through the Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship schemes so far, according to the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).
Since the 2025 payment window opened for these schemes on December 1, three quarters of eligible farmers have received their payments, with over 28,350 payments being made.
RPA stated that these payments are set to continue through this month and into the new year.
Stewardship schemes
The Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship schemes are aimed at supporting farmers to deliver environmental benefits while maintaining sustainable food production, according to RPA.
The agency explained that these schemes are focussed on helping to protect and restore habitats and species, improve water quality, reduce flooding risks, enhance carbon capture, and conserve important historical and archaeological features.
By managing land in sustainable ways, the schemes hope to “boost farm resilience and help future-proof rural businesses, aligning with government targets for nature recovery, carbon storage, and sustainable food production”.
RPA
Commenting on the scheme, RPA’s chief executive, Neil Horby said: “The RPA has been working hard to ensure farmers receive their Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship payments as quickly as possible.
“We’ve made a strong start to the 2025 payment window and increased the number of payments made in the first few weeks compared with last year.
“I’m grateful for the commitment of the RPA teams, who have been focused on delivering the best possible service for our customers,” Horby added.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) stated that it is continuing its commitment to back British farmers through these two schemes, allowing them to “create a productive, profitable, and sustainable future for farming.”
Defra outlined that its efforts, such as introducing new technology, streamlining regulations and provide payments through nature-friendly farming schemes, are all geared towards helping farmers produce food for the nation.
According to Defra, more than half of British farmers are in farming schemes, “helping them adopt nature-friendly methods which are good for their bottom lines”.
