OFM6: Organic land management – top fruit (updated for SFI26)

This is a Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 ( SFI26 ) action. Read the SFI26 scheme information to understand what you’re required to do under an SFI26 agreement and how to apply.

Select ‘See all updates’ at the start of this page to find out how this action has changed for SFI26 compared with SFI24 .

For SFI24 actions, read the  SFI24 agreement holder’s information .

Duration

3 years

How much you’ll be paid

£1,920 per hectare ( ha ) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that orchards which produce top fruit and permanent bush crops are maintained under organic management.

The purpose of this is to:

improve soil health

increase biodiversity

improve water quality

Where you can do this action

You can do this action on land located below the moorland line that’s:

registered as ‘fully organic’ by a Defra -licensed organic control body

used to grow top fruit (such as apples, pears and plums) or bush fruit crops (such as gooseberries and redcurrants) as a commercial crop which is not used to produce alcoholic drinks

registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps

declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover

Eligible land

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code

Permanent crops – horticultural  Permanent crops TC01

Eligibility of protected land

Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Eligible – you must:

give notice to Natural England to get SSSI consent before the Rural Payments Agency ( RPA ) offer you an SFI26 agreement

have received SSSI consent from Natural England before you do this action (read  section 10.1 ‘SSSI consent’  in the SFI26 scheme information for more details)

Historic and archaeological features: Eligible – you must get an SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.3 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this).

Available area you can enter into this action

Total available area in a land parcel (at the point of application). It’s your responsibility to check that the area you enter is eligible for this action.

You must do this action on the area entered into your SFI26 agreement. If something happens which means you cannot complete this action on some or all of the area, you must tell the Rural Payments Agency ( RPA ) in writing as soon as possible. Read section 12.2 ‘What to do if you cannot comply with your agreement’  in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this.

Rotational or static action

This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.

What to do

You must:

comply with the organic standards required by your Defra -licensed organic control body on land entered into this action

protect the trees from grazing livestock and pests, such as deer and rabbits, to prevent serious damage

manage weeds and vegetation around the base of establishing trees

When to do it

You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of its 3-year duration.

How to do it

You must do this action in a way that meets the required organic standards.

Evidence to keep

You must keep a valid organic certificate and schedule for all land entered into this action – this must cover at least the full period of this action’s duration

You must also keep other evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:

field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices

copies of sales receipts for fruit crops

photographs and other documentation

You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.

Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action

You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.

Scheme Action or option codes

SFI 2026 actions CAHL1, CAHL2, CAHL3, CAHL4, CIPM2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM3, PRF1, PRF2

SFI 2024 actions AHW1, CAHL1, CAHL2, CAHL3, CAHL4, CIPM1, CIPM2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CNUM3, CSAM1, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3

SFI 2023 actions AHL1, AHL2, AHL3, AHL4, IPM1, IPM2, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, NUM3, SAM1

CSHT actions from 2025 CAB16, CAB17, CAB18, CAB19, CBE4, CBE5, CPAC1, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CWS1, CWS3

CS options AB16, AB8, BE4, BE5

ES options No ES revenue options

If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 5.6 ‘Land that’s already in other funding schemes or grants’  in the SFI26 scheme information for more details.

You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:

SFI 2026 actions: CHRW2, BND1, BND2 and WBD2

SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2

SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3

CSHT actions: CHRW4

CS options: BE3 (management of hedgerows)

Eligible land

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code

Permanent crops – horticultural  Permanent crops TC01