Just 224 farmers were paid under post-Brexit farming scheme last year

The new scheme was supposed to replace EU subsidies and reward farmers in England for looking after the health of their soil. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

Just 224 farmers in England were paid under the government’s flagship post-Brexit nature-friendly agriculture scheme last year, the Guardian can reveal.

Leaked figures show that a tiny fraction of farms received payment under the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), part of the Conservative government’s plan to replace EU farming subsidies.