More than £430 million has been paid out in the past fortnight to thousands of farmers who have taken part in government schemes to protect and improve the environment.

So far, more than 28,351 payments, worth £435.6 million, have been made by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), since the payment window opened on December 1.

The RPA said they’d made a “strong start” with payments issued to three-quarters of eligible farmers.

The agency, which has been criticised in the past for delays which can severely impact farmers’ cashflows, said outstanding payments would be made “throughout December and beyond”.

Three-quarters of farmers have already received their payments under the CS and ES schemes, the RPA said

placeholder image — Three-quarters of farmers have already received their payments under the CS and ES schemes, the RPA said

Countryside Stewardship (CS) and Environmental Stewardship (ES) payments reimburse farmers and land managers for taking actions like boosting wildlife, improving soil and water quality, and managing historic features.

They help protect and restore habitats and species, improve water quality, reduce flooding risks, enhance carbon capture, and conserve important historical and archaeological features. NFU Deputy President David Exwood said it was encouraging to see the RPA "improving its performance and getting more payments processed and out to farmers and growers on time” in a year in which farmers had faced challenges including high input costs, extreme weather and changes to inheritance tax.

He added: “We will continue to push government for more clarity on the future of the Sustainable Farming Incentive which would also provide further much-needed confidence for our members.”

RPA Chief Executive Neil Hornby said staff had been “focused on delivering the best possible service for our customers”, adding: “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.”

Earlier this year the RSPB sounded the alarm at lower numbers of CS Higher Tier agreements being issued. The charity said there were fewer than half of the 3,000 to 4,000 needed to meet targets set out by in the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan.