RPA provides over £400m in stewardship payments to support farm jobs

More than £400m has been paid to farmers through Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship schemes, providing a significant boost to rural businesses, employment and sustainable food production across England.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) confirmed that since the 2025 payment window opened on 1st December, around three quarters of eligible farmers have already received their payments.

To date, 28,351 payments have been made, totalling £435.6m, with further payments due to follow over the coming weeks.

The schemes support farmers to manage land sustainably while maintaining productive businesses, helping to underpin jobs and long-term employment in the rural economy.

RPA chief executive Neil Hornby 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.”