The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), part of the government's post-Brexit system of payments rewarding nature-friendly farming practices, was relaunched this year after an overhaul which included a £100,000 cap for individual businesses.

The second application window for SFI2026 opened on Tuesday morning, but slammed shut less than six hours later after its entire £253m budget was allocated on the first day - leaving many farmers missing out on payments.

In response to industry criticism, the government is "exploring alternatives to a first come, first served application process" when the scheme reopens in 2027.

A Defra spokesman........

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