The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has faced criticism over its handling of farm support, as MPs questioned the government’s preparedness for disruption to the UK food supply.

The department’s permanent secretary Paul Kissack was challenged over the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) 2026 during a Public Accounts Committee evidence session on Thursday [15 October].

MPs questioning whether current agricultural policy is doing enough to protect domestic food production.

The SFI’s second application window closed within hours of opening on 22 September after demand exceeded the available funding.

Kissack told the committee that Defra had been aware ahead of the window opening that demand would outstrip available resources and had increased the funding pot by 40 per cent in the weeks beforehand.

However, the additional funding was still insufficient, with Kissack acknowledging that the situation had caused “irritation, frustration, anger and stress” among farmers.

The permanent secretary said Defra was still working out how to respond to a situation where demand for farm support significantly exceeds available funding.

Rupert Lowe MP questioned whether the handling of the scheme demonstrated effective long-term planning, while also highlighting what he said was more than £350m of agricultural budget underspending across consecutive funding cycles.

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The hearing comes as concerns over the resilience of the UK food supply chain intensify following a difficult harvest and rising production costs.

Kissack defended the government’s record, telling MPs that domestic food production across most sectors has increased over the past decade and that the UK currently produces around 60 per cent of the food it consumes.

He also pointed to support for environmental management, innovation and productivity, including investment in robotics and precision farming.

However, Lowe disputed the assessment, citing concerns that current policies could discourage farmers from producing food.

For grocers and food manufacturers, the debate highlights the growing importance of domestic agricultural output to supply chain resilience.

With retailers already exposed to disruption from extreme weather, geopolitical tensions and rising input costs, uncertainty around farm support could have implications further down the supply chain – particularly for products reliant on UK-grown produce.