Integrated Pest Management SFI Actions Info - Updated Feb 2026
SFI actions for Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Launched to coincide with the 2026 Annual NFU Conference on 24 February 2026, Defra set out it's Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer for 2026.
Defra announced that the reformed SFI offer for 2026 will consist of 71 actions, rather than the 102 previously available in the SFI24 extended offer. In addition, to manage budget pressures, there will be an agreement cap of £100,000 per annum.
There will be two SFI application windows in the coming year. The first will open in June for small farms ( 3-50ha in size) and/or those without an existing ELM agreement. The second widow will open in September for other farmers.
For full details see here:
https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2026/02/24/sfi26-details-definitions-and-what-to-expect/
With regard Integrated Pest Management, the following is what has been published in the guide highlighted above:
Table 7: Integrated pest management
|
Included/removed |
Action code |
SFI action |
Annual payment |
|
Included |
CIPM2 |
Flower-rich grass margins, blocks or in-field strips |
£798/ha |
|
Included |
CIPM3 |
Companion crop on arable and horticultural land |
£55/ha |
|
Included |
CIPM4 |
No use of insecticide on arable crops and permanent crops |
£45/ha |
|
Removed |
CIPM1 |
Assess integrated pest management and produce a plan |
£1,129/ assessment & plan |
Reason for including: These 3 actions all have high or very high uptake and contribute to our environmental targets. CIPM2 and CIPM3 both have very high value for money, with CIPM4 having moderate value for money. CIPM2 creates habitats for pollinators. CIPM3 and CIPM4 both support sustainable crop production.
Reason for removing: CIPM1 has very high uptake, but (like other planning actions) it does not deliver direct environment benefits and therefore delivers poor value for money.
However, the VI would encourage farmers to continue to complete an IPM plan (required anyway if in an assurance scheme and to be required under similar environmental schemes currently being launched in Wales and Scotland), since analysis of data from IPM plans completed since 2020 indicates that the top scoring 25% of farmers score highly due to enhanced planning and the inclusion of prevention measures in their IPM strategy.
Data courtesy of Henry Creissen
To complete a plan, visit our IPM Plan page at: