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Landbeach farmer says grant fiasco leaves business future uncertain
Overview
Peter Hatley, a Cambridgeshire farmer from Landbeach, says his business future is uncertain after missing out on a £150,000 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) grant. The government's £253m funding window closed after just six hours due to high demand, leaving thousands of farmers empty-handed. Hatley stated he will now be forced to farm intensively and rip up environmental spaces, while Farming Minister Stephen Morgan announced an extra £20m would be added to the fund and lessons learned for future schemes.
Key points
- Peter Hatley missed out on a £150,000 environmental grant after the SFI application window closed within six hours.
- The £253m government scheme, designed to support nature and food production, saw overwhelming demand with about 12,000 applications submitted.
- Hatley stated that without the funding buffer, he must resort to intensive farming and remove wildlife borders to keep his business viable.
- Farming Minister Stephen Morgan acknowledged farmers' disappointments, adding an extra £20m to the fund and promising to explore alternatives to the first-come, first-served process for future allocations.