Highest Paying Farm Subsidy Actions
Which subsidy actions pay the most? Here's every action ranked by annual payment rate across SFI, Countryside Stewardship, Welsh SFS, and Scottish AECS.
What are the highest paying actions?
The top paying actions are predominantly Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, which requires a Natural England agreement. SFI actions are generally lower per-hectare but easier to access.
Top 30 highest paying actions
Rank | Code | Action | Scheme | Payment | Country |
1 | CHS6 | Maintain designed or engineered waterbodies | CS Higher Tier | £2,512 | England |
2 | WT9 | Creation of fen | CS Higher Tier | £1,605 | England |
3 | CSW12 | Make room for the river to move | CS Higher Tier | £1489.00 | England |
4 | CSW17 | Raise water levels in cropped or arable peat soils to near the land surface | CS Higher Tier | £1409.00 | England |
5 | CSW18 | Raise water levels in permanent grassland peat soils to near the land surface | CS Higher Tier | £1381.00 | England |
6 | CSW22 | Connect river and floodplain habitats | CS Higher Tier | £1242.00 | England |
7 | CSW23 | Manage features on arable land for flood and drought resilience and water quality | CS Higher Tier | £1241.00 | England |
8 | CSW25 | Manage riparian and water edge habitats | CS Higher Tier | £1186.00 | England |
9 | CSW21 | 6m to 24m 3-dimensional (3D) buffer strip | CS Higher Tier | £1182.00 | England |
10 | CIPM1 | Assess integrated pest management and produce a plan | SFI | £1129.00 | England |
11 | AB10 | AB10 | CS Mid Tier | £1,072 | England |
12 | AHW9 | Unharvested cereal headland | SFI | £1072.00 | England |
13 | CAB10 | Unharvested cereal headland | CS Higher Tier | £1072.00 | England |
14 | CGS18 | Manage species-rich floodplain meadows | CS Higher Tier | £1070.00 | England |
15 | CSW24 | Manage grassland for flood and drought resilience and water quality | CS Higher Tier | £938.00 | England |
16 | COP3 | Supplementary winter bird food (organic land) | CS Higher Tier | £935.00 | England |
17 | WT8 | Management of fen | CS Higher Tier | £920 | England |
18 | CSW19 | Raise water levels in cropped or arable peat soils | CS Higher Tier | £892.00 | England |
19 | CHS7 | Manage historic water meadows through traditional irrigation | CS Higher Tier | £863.00 | England |
20 | CES6 | Maintain features for wildfire management (fire belts) supplement | CS Higher Tier | £861.00 | England |
21 | AB9 | AB9 | CS Higher Tier | £853 | England |
22 | CAB17 | Winter bird food on arable and horticulture land | CS Higher Tier | £853 | England |
23 | CAHL2 | Winter bird food on arable and horticultural land | SFI | £853 | England |
24 | CAGF1 | Manage high density in-field agroforestry | CS Higher Tier | £849.00 | England |
25 | CSW20 | Raise water levels in permanent grassland peat soils | CS Higher Tier | £840.00 | England |
26 | CCT4 | Create intertidal and saline habitat on arable land | CS Higher Tier | £812.00 | England |
27 | CT4 | CT4 | CS Higher Tier | £812.00 | England |
28 | AB8 | AB8 | CS Mid Tier | £798.00 | England |
29 | CAB18 | Flower-rich grass margins, blocks, or in-field strips (on arable land or permanent | CS Higher Tier | £798.00 | England |
30 | CIPM2 | Flower-rich grass margins, blocks or in-field strips | SFI | £798.00 | England |
Summary by scheme
SFI: 45 actions with payment rates. Average: £403. Highest: CIPM1 at £1129.00.
CS Higher Tier: 127 actions with payment rates. Average: £435. Highest: CHS6 at £2,512.
CS Mid Tier: 15 actions with payment rates. Average: £506. Highest: AB10 at £1,072.
CS Mid Tier / Higher Tier: 2 actions with payment rates. Average: £409. Highest: SW3 at £765.