Midsomer Norton’s MP has described the Labour Government’s announcement to abruptly end applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive as “cowardly”.

Anna Sabine MP (Liberal Democrats, Frome and East Somerset) has slammed the government for a decision she says shows a “complete disregard” to farmers.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pays farmers for sustainable practices, such as protecting soil and restoring hedgerows, but no new applications will be accepted.

The announcement, made on Tuesday, March 12, was given with just 30 minutes notice to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) before closing the window during which farmers could access the fund.

It had previously been promised that the NFU and farmers would be told six months in advance of any closure of the fund.

Mrs Sabine said: “The sudden closure of the SFI fund is nothing short of a cowardly move by the government showing a complete disregard to farmers and their welfare. The lack of notice period before the closure shows a callous disrespect for a community who have faced blow after blow from the Labour government and are struggling to survive.”

“The news follows other attacks on farmers which make it harder and harder for them to sustain a business up against increasing costs and will hit smallhold farms who previously invested in new technologies to become more environmentally sustainable under the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

“The government continues to compound damage done and a disregard shown to farmers and rural communities from previous Conservative administrations and this decision without proper consultation with the NFU, again shows a short-sighted attitude from Labour that makes it impossible for farmers to survive in the current climate.

“In a time of international unrest, it is more important than ever to ensure we are self-sustaining, and farmers need to be respected for what they do and can offer in the future.”

With a record numbers of businesses in farming schemes and the sustainable farming budget successfully allocated, the Government has confirmed it has stopped accepting new applications for the SFI.

Every penny in all existing SFI agreements will be paid to farmers, and outstanding eligible applications that have been submitted will also be taken forward. The Government says.

The new Labour Government said it inherited farming schemes which were underspent, meaning millions of pounds were not going to farming businesses. At the budget, the Government secured the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history, with £5 billion being committed in the farming budget over a two-year period.

The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner, said: “This Government is proud to have set the biggest budget for sustainable food produce in history, to boost growth in rural communities and all across the UK, under our Plan for Change.

“More farmers are now in schemes and more money is being spent through them than ever before. That is true today and will remain true tomorrow.

“We have now successfully allocated the SFI24 budget as promised.”