Defra to open latest round of equipment and technology grants
© Adobe Stock Farmers across England will be able to apply for grants worth almost £47m from the end of the month, when Defra opens the next round of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF).
The funding will be available from 29 May under three themes – productivity, slurry management, and animal health and welfare – and applications will close on 10 July.
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The application process will be competitive, with up to £30m available for productivity and slurry management equipment, and £16.7m for the animal health and welfare theme.
Grants will range from £1,000 to a maximum of £25,000 and will cover a percentage of the cost, which varies by item.
Defra farming minister Daniel Zeichner said: “Equipment and technology help drive farming forward and we will work with investors to fund more resilient, sustainable farms, boosting profitability, productivity and food security.”
More detail
There are 66 different items listed under the productivity section, including tractor-powered electric desiccators for weed control, robotic drill and guided hoes, and inter-row hoes and weeders.
A further 17 items are eligible for grants related to slurry management.
Popular items include robotic slurry collectors, flow-rate monitoring equipment, and low-emission slurry spreaders such as dribble bars.
And when it comes to animal welfare, there are more than 100 listed items, including piglet creeps, mobile cattle and sheep handling systems, and cooling systems for poultry housing.
Act quickly
James Bradley, a partner with property consultants Carter Jonas, said that, with 183 possible options, there should be something to appeal to all farm businesses.
“We have seen a range of machinery purchases in previous rounds, primarily focusing on drilling and establishment, but these funds do offer elements to improve systems throughout the production cycle,” he said.
“Farmers should be aware that the scheme is competitive, so applications containing a number of options are more likely to be awarded funds.
“We would also urge businesses to act quickly to ensure there is time to consider the application fully in advance of closure.”
Investor Partnerships
In addition to the FETF, a £5m Investor Partnerships programme will launch on 2 June, using government money as a catalyst to attract private investment, to bring cutting-edge technology to market.
This will close on 2 July.