DEFRA Announcement: Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier (CS MT) agreement holders

DEFRA Announcement: Last week it was confirmed that Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier agreement holders whose agreements end 31^st December 2025 are being offered a one-year extension to 31^st December 2026.

This offers short-term continuity for farmers as England’s environmental land management schemes continue to change. The extension provides time to plan ahead and adapt to the new environmental schemes which may be introduced next year through the Sustainable Farming Incentive and related programmes.

Key details about the 1 year extension:

• It does not apply automatically. Farmers need to opt in to accept the extension once it is offered.
• The RPA should contact farmers in the next few weeks to confirm eligibility for an extension.
• Agreements continue on the same rules, terms and conditions as now.
• The extension cannot be used to add, remove or replace options or capital items in the existing agreement.
• Capital works not finished and paid before the extension starts will be removed.
• Options and supplements with a duration of less than 5 years cannot be extended.
• If you haven’t heard from the Rural Payments Agency by 6^th November, farmers are advised to get in touch to confirm eligibility.

For many agreement holders, this offers an opportunity to continue receiving payments for ongoing environmental actions while awaiting the government’s decisions on schemes from 2026 onward.

Read the full update from DEFRA here: https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2025/10/15/extension-offer-for-2021-countryside-stewardship-mid-tier-agreements/