Defra’s £117k job offer criticised following SFI blow
14th March 2025
In light of a surprising SFI announcement earlier this week, a job offer posted by Defra has become a very controversial topic among the farming community.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has been criticised for offering a high-paying position just after it has stopped accepting new SFI applications.
According to a job advert published on the UK government website, a new Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector would earn between £76,000 and £117,800 per year.
This part-time position requires the commissioner to work three days a week, and it can be done from home.
Defra confirmed that the role is a fixed-term appointment for three years.
The offer also includes a significant pension employer contribution of 28.9 percent. This means that taxpayers will be paying £34,126 a year into the commissioner’s pension, according to GB News.
The job offer reads: ‘The role is the first of its kind in England and will be a unique leadership role. The candidate requires specialist industry knowledge of agricultural tenancy agreements and experience in facilitating solutions between tenant farmers, landlords and their advisors.
‘Specific professional qualifications are also desirable for successful delivery of the role (such as rural chartered surveyor, agricultural lawyer, agricultural valuer, or facilitation skills and experience).’
‘Another shattering blow to English farms’
Defra said that the government inherited “an uncapped scheme, despite a finite farming budget”, and the highest ever level of participation in SFI means the maximum limit has now been reached.
“Therefore, as SFI has reached its completion, the government is stopping accepting new SFI applications today.
“Now is the right time for a reset: supporting farmers, delivering for nature and targeting public funds fairly and effectively towards our priorities for food, farming and nature. “
The unexpected move has been widely criticised by the farming community.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said that the announcement is “another shattering blow to English farms”.
He added that the news was delivered “with no warning, no understanding of the industry, and a complete lack of compassion or care”.
READ MORE: Industry calls for interim farm support scheme following SFI chaos
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