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Farm payment scheme criticised for ‘lack of ambition’
Published: 3:05 PM December 2, 2021 Updated: 3:54 PM December 2, 2021 The government’s much-vaunted new green payment scheme has earned a lukewarm response from East Anglian farmers – while conservationists criticised its “shocking lack of ambition” for helping wildlife. Environment secretary George Eustice outlined how the government aims to help farmers “deliver on environmental priorities to tackle biodiversity loss and climate change”. He also revealed some long-awaited details of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), due to be rolled out next year. It is the first of three new environmental land management (ELM) schemes being introduced while the EU’s system of land-based subsidies is being phased out after Brexit. Farmers will be paid for providing environmental benefits, such as…