Defra has finally unveiled the budget for its flagship Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme – but is £240 million enough to meet demand from farmers?

Former Natural England agriculture head Geoff Sansome gives his verdict – and explains why thousands of farmers could still be left in limbo when existing agreements expire.

We also bring you an exclusive interview with new Red Tractor chief executive Paul McLaughlin, who responds to criticism of the farm assurance scheme.

Just weeks into the role, Mr McLaughlin outlines plans for reform and explains how technology, AI and simpler audits could help rebuild trust with farmers.

Recorded at the Cereals event at Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm, we discuss why this year’s show has been one of the most talked-about industry events in years.

And we hear about the NFU’s call for government support to protect growers from soaring fertiliser costs.

Finally, we meet the team behind Only Farmers – a new online platform designed to help farmers market products, share equipment, promote experiences and connect with customers.

Guests

* Geoff Sansome – former head of agriculture, Natural England
* Red Tractor chief executive Paul McLaughlin
* NFU president Tom Bradshaw
* Lisa Hogan – co-founder, Only Farmers
* Wolfe Bentinck – co-founder, Only Farmers

Chapters

00:00 SFI budget finally confirmed
01:45 Geoff Sansome on whether £240m is enough
05:41 Industry reaction to the SFI announcement
09:02 Exclusive: Red Tractor chief executive Paul McLaughlin
11:36 Why assurance reform is taking so long
14:05 Imports, standards and farmer frustrations
16:38 Technology, AI and the future of farm assurance
20:41 Panel reaction to Red Tractor’s plans
24:49 Cereals 2026 from Diddly Squat Farm
25:14 Has Jeremy Clarkson changed Cereals?
30:51 NFU fertiliser resilience plan explained
35:43 Markets: beef, sheep, pigs, cereals and diesel
38:34 Only Farmers: a new platform for agriculture
41:47 Can farmers benefit from Only Farmers?
43:50 Final thoughts and goodbye

Useful links

Sustainable Farming Incentive

Red Tractor

National Farmers Union

Cereals Event

Only Farmers

Natural England

Farmers Weekly

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker.

We love to hear from you: -

Contact or follow Johann: linkedin.com/in/johanntasker/

Contact or follow Louise: linkedin.com/in/louise-impey-95470b20b/

Contact or follow Hugh: linkedin.com/in/hugh-broom-9b11906a/

For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow linkedin.com/company/farmers-weekly

To contact, sponsor or advertise on the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0. 

Defra has finally unveiled the budget for its flagship Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme &ndash; but is &pound;240 million enough to meet demand from farmers?
Former Natural England agriculture head Geoff Sansome gives his verdict &ndash; and explains why thousands of farmers could still be left in limbo when existing agreements expire.
We also bring you an exclusive interview with new Red Tractor chief executive Paul McLaughlin, who responds to criticism of the farm assurance scheme.
Just weeks into the role, Mr McLaughlin outlines plans for reform and explains how technology, AI and simpler audits could help rebuild trust with farmers.
Recorded at the Cereals event at Jeremy Clarkson&rsquo;s Diddly Squat Farm, we discuss why this year&rsquo;s show has been one of the most talked-about industry events in years.
And we hear about the NFU&rsquo;s call for government support to protect growers from soaring fertiliser costs.
Finally, we meet the team behind Only Farmers &ndash; a new online platform designed to help farmers market products, share equipment, promote experiences and connect with customers.
Guests
* Geoff Sansome &ndash; former head of agriculture, Natural England * Red Tractor chief executive Paul McLaughlin * NFU president Tom Bradshaw * Lisa Hogan &ndash; co-founder, Only Farmers * Wolfe Bentinck &ndash; co-founder, Only Farmers
Chapters
00:00 SFI budget finally confirmed 01:45 Geoff Sansome on whether &pound;240m is enough 05:41 Industry reaction to the SFI announcement 09:02 Exclusive: Red Tractor chief executive Paul McLaughlin 11:36 Why assurance reform is taking so long 14:05 Imports, standards and farmer frustrations 16:38 Technology, AI and the future of farm assurance 20:41 Panel reaction to Red Tractor&rsquo;s plans 24:49 Cereals 2026 from Diddly Squat Farm 25:14 Has Jeremy Clarkson changed Cereals? 30:51 NFU fertiliser resilience plan explained 35:43 Markets: beef, sheep, pigs, cereals and diesel 38:34 Only Farmers: a new platform for agriculture 41:47 Can farmers benefit from Only Farmers? 43:50 Final thoughts and goodbye
Useful links
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sustainable-farming-incentive-guidance">Sustainable Farming Incentive</a>
<a href="https://redtractor.org.uk">Red Tractor</a>
<a href="https://www.nfuonline.com">National Farmers Union</a>
<a href="https://www.cerealsevent.co.uk">Cereals Event</a>
<a href="https://onlyfarmers.co.uk">Only Farmers</a>
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england">Natural England</a>
<a href="https://www.fwi.co.uk">Farmers Weekly</a>
This episode of the&nbsp;Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker.
We love to hear from you: -
Contact or follow Johann: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanntasker/">linkedin.com/in/johanntasker/</a>
Contact or follow Louise:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-impey-95470b20b/">linkedin.com/in/louise-impey-95470b20b/</a>
Contact or follow Hugh: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-broom-9b11906a/">linkedin.com/in/hugh-broom-9b11906a/</a>
For Farmers Weekly, visit <a href="https://fwi.co.uk/">fwi.co.uk</a> or follow <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/farmers-weekly">linkedin.com/company/farmers-weekly</a>
To contact, sponsor or advertise on the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email <a href="mailto:podcast@fwi.co.uk">podcast@fwi.co.uk</a>. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.&nbsp;

The inside track on the biggest stories affecting UK agriculture - with Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Every Friday.

The inside track on the biggest stories affecting UK agriculture - with Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Every Friday.