Up to £25,000 in farm equipment and technology grants opening in May
Farmers across England will be able to apply for grants worth up to £25,000 each to invest in machinery that boosts farm productivity, from 29 May.
From seed-planting robots that reduce labour costs, to slurry separator systems that bring down reliance on expensive fertilisers, this new round of the popular Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) will make £46.7 million available to boost profitability by helping farmers cut costs while increasing efficiency with grants for boosting productivity, managing slurry or improving animal health and welfare. Applications for FETF will close on 10 July.
Who are these grants for?
The grants are open to commercial livestock farmers in England who keep the following types of animals: beef cattle; dairy cows; sheep; pigs; laying hens; and broiler chickens. Both laying hens and broiler chickens include both rearing and breeding farms.
What is on offer?
Farmers can apply for grants of between £1000 and £25,000 towards the cost of a list of equipment and technology items that deliver improvements in the health and welfare of their livestock. There are over 100 unique items on the list, which means lots of options to help farmers address their health and welfare goals. For example, there are items that would help with:
- reducing lameness in sheep and cattle by investing in livestock handling equipment.
- reducing disease transmission in outdoor pigs by using grant funding to install sealed water tanks that improve biosecurity.
- limiting environmental stress in poultry housing, by adopting welfare-improving technology such as automated monitoring systems and sensors which free up farmer time and allow adjustments to be made more quickly and efficiently.
As any farmer will tell you, improving the health and welfare of livestock can deliver long-term productivity benefits. Not only is that good for the animals, it’s also great for the farmer’s bottom line and supports us in our mission to help farm businesses stay resilient.
You can join the FETF briefing webinar at 1pm on 21 May to hear more about the fund
Read the Farming and Equipment Technology Fund (FETF) guidance to find out more about the scheme and how to apply.
