Farmers Race to Apply for 2024 Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier Deals
The 2024 application window is officially open from Tuesday, 21 March, inviting farmers and landowners to cash in on Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreements. These rewards come for efforts protecting wildlife, improving water and air quality, managing natural floods, and producing food sustainably.
Big Upgrades and More Cash for Green Farming
- Removed caps on capital item values for water, air quality, hedgerows, boundaries, and flood management.
- Expanded support for natural flood management, scrub creation, and cutting nitrogen in groundwater.
- Streamlined application: no more waiting for an application pack, a fresh online system, quicker automatic checks, plus an annual declaration for farmers.
- Pay rises: 10% boost for revenue payments and a whopping 48% extra for capital grants, as revealed in January.
With 32,000 agreements live across England—a 94% surge since 2020—Countryside Stewardship is driving serious change. Nearly 26,000 are Mid Tier agreements, reflecting farmers’ enthusiasm for paying it forward to the environment.
Wildlife and Climate Benefits on the Farm
Existing agreements cover over 50,000 hectares of grasslands, key habitats featured in Sir David Attenborough’s upcoming Wild Isles documentary. Coupled with 100,000 hectares managed under Environmental Stewardship, the scheme plays a central role in UK efforts on carbon reduction, biodiversity, and net zero goals.
Farming Minister Mark Spencer said:
“Countryside Stewardship is already popular amongst farmers, with almost 32,000 people signed up across England and something on offer for every type of farm.”
“With the latest application window opening today, I urge farmers to take a look at the full range of options and capital items available and consider the improved application process and the removal of the limit on capital grants to see if they could benefit in 2024.”
Rural Payments Agency Chief Executive Paul Caldwell added:
“We are continuing to improve Countryside Stewardship, building on the successes we have achieved already, which has seen more farmers and land managers applying and we want to do more.”
“With a broadened offer and improvements to the application process, this is a great opportunity for those new to agri-environment schemes and those who may have decided not to apply in the past, and I would urge farmers and land managers to get involved where possible.”
What’s New for 2024 Mid Tier Applications?
- New options include natural flood management, more scrub areas, and lowering groundwater nitrogen.
- Wildlife Offers tailored for arable, mixed, lowland grazing, and upland farms help boost pollinators and bird habitats.
- Applications open for 5-year multi-year grants with annual payments, plus capital grants to combat pollution and restore hedgerows.
- No more limits on capital item values in Mid Tier agreements.
- Expert advice from Catchment Sensitive Farming officers available to tackle water and air pollution and floods.
The new online application service lets farmers jump straight into applying—no pack needed. Automatic checks speed up processing, and an annual declaration trims red tape.
These changes mark another leap in the government’s drive to support farmers balancing food production and environmental protection.
