Grant Supplement March 2024

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Solar panel offer and rise in funding boosts grant demand

The Improving Productivity Grant proved to be successful in the past, specifically in Cumbria for milking robots.

But the increase in funding for farm productivity from 40 to 50 per cent, on top of the extra money available for solar panels, means this particular grant is likely to be even more popular among farmers this time around.

That was the message from associate and chartered surveyor for H&H Land and Estates, Jonathan Hird, who added that all expression of interests must be submitted to the online checker before March 21 and, if eligible, farmers will then be invited to submit a full application.

The funding for the grant is split into two parts: Farm Productivity Grants and Solar Grants.

The Farm Productivity Grant covers a variety of advanced robotic and automated equipment aimed at helping to improve productivity on-farm, improve efficiencies that will reduce reliance on labour and, at the same time,

help to improve environmental and carbon performance.

Mr Hird said: “New technology can also include ventilation control units and wavelength-specific LED lighting for horticultural crops, but not for livestock buildings.

“Due to the focus on improving the environment, the robotic and automated equipment which are powered by renewable sources will be prioritised for grant funding over the equipment powered by fossil fuels.

“The minimum grant is £25,000 and the maximum is £500,000, with funding covering 50 per cent of the total investment, so a minimum grant of £25,000 requires a minimum total spend of £50,000 of eligible expenditure.”

The Solar Grant for solar PV equipment is for a minimum of £15,000 and a maximum of £100,000. Mr Hird said the funding in this case covers only 25 per cent of the total investment, so the minimum grant requires a total spend of £60,000.

“As a return, the investment into

solar will help to reduce energy costs and also have wider environmental benefits,” he added.

The Solar Grant will provide funding for solar PV panels, solar batteries, inverters, utility meters, electrical grid connections and power diverters.

Eligible items

Mr Hird said the grant will also apply to installation and commissioning of the eligible items, any alterations to the electrical supply to accommodate this equipment and upgrading of the electricity supply to the holding and installation of charging power points.

“The grant only applies to panels installed on farm building roofs or irrigation reservoirs and not to freestanding solar panels.”

If invited to make a full application for either grant, Mr Hird said detail was key, as well as focused analysis on the benefits of the investment.

He advised farmers to highlight the value for money with their application, include quotes for the

The grant funding available has also been increased from £30 million to £50m, providing a great investment opportunity JONATHAN HIRD

items they are looking to purchase, along with an assessment of how the project can be delivered and be sustainable.

Mr Hird said: “The grant funding available has also been increased from £30 million to £50m, providing a great investment opportunity that will help improve efficiencies and productivity, and help future-proof your farm business.”

The Solar Grant offers potential investment opportunities for farmers.

The Government has offered strong financial incentives for woodland creation, so the barrier to uptake cannot be from a purely economic point of view, according to Savills senior woodland consultant Luke Hemmings.

Mr Hemmings said there were many landowners who were keen to increase their carbon storage and habitat potential of their land, but the ‘approval process’ for planting new woodland was an issue.

He said it was similar to any planning process, but there were three main bodies which decided whether woodland could be planted or not –the Forestry Commission, Scottish Forestry and Natural Resources Wales.

Mr Hemmings added: “For example, there are protections for habitats such as deep peat and moorland; landscapes such as the Northumberland National Park or the South Downs; for species such as lapwings which rely on uplands for their breeding areas; and features of the historic environment such as ridge and furrow fields from ancient agriculture.

“That is not to say that you cannot

Forestry grants stifled by ‘approval process’

create woodland in these areas, but it has to be done in a way which will not damage them.”

He said the approval process often required extensive surveys of land and could draw objections from a number of voices.

“Landowners are finding that it can take anything from six months to three years to get the go ahead for a new project.

“Fortunately, recent announcements will fast track the process in known low-risk areas and simplify the consultation process without losing any of the environmental protections it ensures. This will help to keep the interest and enthusiasm of landowners, as well as keeping costs down.”

Despite the delays, Mr Hemmings

said the Government’s ambitious target to plant 30,000 hectares of woodland in the UK by March 2025 had begun a ‘huge transformation’ in UK forestry.

Doubled

“At a time when other Government departments have faced cuts, the Forestry Commission has almost doubled in size. There is a greater understanding of the value of woodland, not just for timber or carbon storage, but for biodiversity and recreation too.”

Mr Hemmings admitted the Government’s target might be ‘hugely challenging’, but said ‘it has motivated an entire industry and kept tree planting on the agenda and in conversation’.

He said: “It has led to more trees being grown, foresters being trained and woodlands being created than at any other time in the last 30 years.”

It can take anything from six months to three years to get the go ahead for a new project

LUKE HEMMINGS

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Key woodland grants

The ‘approval process’ for planting new woodland is an issue, according to Luke Hemmings.

PATRICIA Singleton, Savills rural research, has compiled a list of the key woodland grants in England:

WOODLAND CREATION PLANNING GRANT

■ FOR larger woodland sites (five hectares or larger), it provides funding to prepare a UK Forestry Standardcompliant plan for woodland creation.

ENGLAND WOODLAND CREATION OFFER

■ ENCOURAGES investment in creation of new woodland for sites as small as 1ha, through funding for:

■ Capital items to establish new woodland

■ Annual maintenance payments to support establishment of young trees

■ Support for installation of infrastructure for ongoing management

■ Additional contributions where woodland location can contribute to other public benefits, such as nature recovery and flood risk mitigation

COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP

■ PLANTING of trees outside woodland (hedgerows, parkland and pasture) through Countryside Stewardship; there are also options for management of and improving the health of existing woodlands

HS2 WOODLAND FUND

■ PROVIDES funding to support native woodland creation or the restoration of plantations on ancient woodland sites within a 25-mile zone surrounding the HS2 Phase One route between London and the West Midlands

FORESTRY ENGLAND WOODLAND PARTNERSHIP

■ PROVIDES a leasehold rental income for land used to create new woodland; Forestry England bares all the costs of planting and management, but also has control of the land for the duration of the lease

PICTURE:

Hedgerow planting is one of the most common items part-funded under the Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants scheme.

Farmers and land managers are advised not to lose sight of what schemes are available ‘in the here and now’, with many farmers often surprised by the ‘breadth of options’ offered under the Countryside Stewardship (CS) Capital Grants scheme.

When it comes to keeping on top of the range of grant funding opportunities out there, it can be a daunting challenge for both farmers and land managers to know where to look first.

With a lot of focus so far this year on the new land management actions expected to be introduced under the ‘combined offer’ of CS and Sustainable Farming Incentive, CLA senior land use policy adviser Cameron Hughes said there were opportunities ready to be seized within the CS Capital Grants scheme.

Mr Hughes said: “CLA members I speak to are often surprised at the breadth of options available through the Capital Grants scheme. Some have ended up fully funding works, to only then realise there could have been funding support through the scheme.”

The CS scheme is split into the land management revenue options, such as those included in mid and higher tier agreements, and the capital items.

“The CS Capital Grants programme can sit both separately and alongside revenue agreements and includes a wide range of 70 items of farming in-

Most popular items

■ Fencing: (£6.34/metre)

■ Sheep netting: (£7.47/m)

■ Planting new hedges: (£22.97/m)

■ Wooden field gate: (£489.90/ gate)

Opportunities ready to be seized within CS Capital Grants scheme

frastructure and farmland features which deliver environmental benefits,” Mr Hughes added.

The options include grant contributions towards ubiquitous farmland features, such as fences, gates and troughs and more niche items such as leaky wooden dams.

Mr Hughes said: “A point that should be noted is that the grant funding contributions are not designed to cover the entire cost of each capital item, but do offer a meaningful contribution.”

If looking to apply for funding, applications can be made through the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) via the online portal, with the application window open all-year-round.

Mr Hughes said: “Agreement holders have three years to complete, pay for the work and evidence it.

“Funding is awarded once work has been completed, but work completed before the start of the agreement is not eligible for funding.

“Applications can be made as part of a CS revenue agreement, or separately.

“When part of a revenue agreement, the deadline to complete the

capital works will come at the threeyear point, with the revenue options continuing for the remainder of the agreement.

Multiple

“It is possible to have multiple capital grant agreements running simultaneously, though applications for new agreements cannot include parcels which include incomplete funded works or have not received their final payment.”

In terms of competitiveness, the grant operates on a first come first served basis, but Mr Hughes added there had never been issues with over-subscription. Should it happen, the funding would be awarded to grants deemed to provide the highest environmental benefit.

He said when applying there should be ‘firm intention of implementing any items’ included in application, adding applicants may need to ‘examine their business plans’ to assess the need for certain items.

“Consider the planning requirements. Some items require endorsement from Defra’s arm’s length bodies, such as Catchment

Members I speak to are often surprised at the breadth of options available through the Capital Grants scheme CAMERON HUGHES

Sensitive Farming. Others may require permissions to be sought from the Environment Agency or the Local Planning Authority.”

Mr Hughes said each item had ‘specific requirements’, which applicants must be familiar with, adding it was important to read the full guidance.

MORE INFO

Further details are available on the RPA’s website, visit: gov.uk/ government/publications/capitalgrants-2024/applicants-guidecapital-grants-2024--2

Rural communities helped by Royal Countryside Fund

The Royal Countryside Fund (RCF) has announced an investment of £434,945 for rural communities and farm support organisations across the UK.

The funding will support those living and working in the countryside, who face increased challenges including extreme weather, isolation and the cost of living.

Keith Halstead, executive director of the RCF, said: “We operate exclusively in rural areas and work hand-in-hand with individuals, small farms, community groups and partner organisations to change lives by investing in projects that bring people together to work collectively in enterprising and pragmatic ways to tackle the

real needs and local issues which they have identified.”

Three charities that help farming; RSABI in Scotland, Rural Support in Northern Ireland and Tir Dewi in Wales, have each received £15,000 towards the running of their organisations.

Support

Chief executive of Tir Dewi, Gareth Davies, said: “We are, as a result, better equipped to deliver our support to the farmers of Wales.”

The RCF also provides grants to farm support groups, who are embedded in the rural communities which they serve, helping to create a ‘real future for farming families’.

This year, £25,000 has been awarded to seven farm support groups to cover core costs and

ensure organisations are able to continue to deliver vital services to farmers.

Those being awarded these grants are Exmoor Hill Farming Network, Herefordshire Rural Hub, The Farmer Network, The Farming Life Centre, Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services, Farm Cornwall and Dartmoor Hill Farm Project.

Exmoor Hill Farming Network said its funding will be used to ensure the network could continue to deliver vital services – assisting at least 50 farm businesses and delivering four farmer-led events that would respond to the needs of the local farming community.

Smaller grants of up to £5,000 were awarded to Derbyshire Rural Chaplaincy, Lincolnshire Rural

Support Network, The Lightwave Community CIO, YANA, The Farmer Network in Lincolnshire and Borderlands Rural Chaplaincy.

The RCF has invested £434,945 in farming communities.

The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund grant scheme has been refined for 2024, with several new products added across its three funding areas. Toby Whatley reports.

The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) has been reintroduced for 2024, with the list of eligible items divided into three funding groups: productivity; animal health and welfare; and slurry management.

Significant crossover between the three sections means potential applicants should review all the items to ensure that they are making the best use of the funding options available.

Maintaining the change introduced in 2023, the fund has remained open to contractors alongside farmers, forestry and horticultural businesses.

PRODUCTIVITY ITEMS

THE productivity items are offered across sectors which include arable, forestry, horticulture, livestock, resource management and general productivity. Items have been added to the list in all sections, with a focus on retrofittable technology and machinery to improve water management on both grassland and pastures.

New items include combinemounted weed seed destroyers, which are designed to mill or grind weed seeds within the chaff to prevent their germination viability. Retrofittable equipment for crop protection now includes closed transfer systems (CTS) and automatic spray boom control systems.

CTS systems are focused on improving chemical mixing accuracy and reducing the risk of operator exposure. This is achieved by allowing the automatic connection of plant

FETF grants return with additional items

The maximum value awarded for productivity and slurry items has been capped at £50,000, with the animal welfare items capped at a lower £25,000. All schemes have a minimum grant value of £1,000. The grant to capital value for items

protection product containers directly into the sprayer mixing system, removing the need for the operator to measure and pour the product.

As many grassland farmers are facing waterlogged and compacted pastures, grassland pasture aerators have also been added, which covers both trailed and mounted large diameter roller-aerators and pasture slitters.

Suitable for farm businesses and contractors providing long-term water management on arable fields and pastures, pressurised field drain cleaners have been added to allow the improvement of existing land infrastructure and increase water discharge. The tractor-mounted cleaners are mechanically pushed into land drains from the outlet, with highpressure water used to remove the build-up of silt within drainage pipes.

has been set at 50 or 60 per cent, based on a Rural Payments Agency (RPA)-generated average cost for the items. The grant values do not cover the total cost of the items listed, and businesses are expected to fund the remaining balance.

The scheme cannot be used to fund items which have been bought through hire purchase or leasing, and it also cannot be used for items which are second-hand, exdemonstration or already owned by the business.

PLANNED to open for applications later in the year, the animal health and welfare funding pool is divided into products for beef and dairy cattle, sheep, pigs and laying/broiler chickens.

The RPA has specifically excluded other types of livestock from this scheme, including goats, ducks, turkeys, geese and game birds.

The animal health and welfare section is the largest group of items included within the FETF scheme and includes some crossover products across each of the livestock sections.

Most of the products are suited to fixed infrastructure on buildings and livestock housing. However, multiple items have been added to aid

Remote livestock monitoring technology has been added to the funding provision.

ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE ITEMS

businesses in the control of badger access to livestock buildings, with the fund provision of sheeted gates in multiple sizes across all livestock sections alongside other disinfection products.

Aligning with a potentially increased interest in temporary mob grazing –particularly of native breeds – across a wider area, beef farmers have access to grant-funded crushes for horned cattle, alongside water bowsers with an integrated trough.

Also included are automated health and welfare monitoring systems, which can monitor at least one health and welfare parameter such as activity level, feeding behaviour, or body temperature.

Combine-mounted seed destroyers are now included within the FETF scheme.

SLURRY ITEMS

ITEMS for slurry application and management have retained a separate funding area, with an overall focus on improving application accuracy and understanding the nutrient content

of applied products using real-time sensing.

Some of the items in the slurry funding section have changed since 2023, with the major addition being the inclusion of a mobile slurry REFLECTING

separator. Similar to the drain jetter, the unit could be attractive to contracting businesses looking to add or expand a service offered to farmers.

The mobile separator can be mounted on wheels or skids, and must

How to apply

procedure for previous funding rounds, the application timing for the three funding groups varies.

Initially, the productivity and slurry sections are open now until April 17, 2024.

The application window for items within the animal health and welfare sections has yet to be announced.

In addition, two further application windows for all three sections are expected to open this year. The dates of these are also yet to be released.

NFU senior support schemes adviser Richard Wordsworth said: “We encourage farmers to look at

be designed to process a minimum of 10cu.m per hour and remove 20 per cent of the liquid volume from the intake slurry. The units can either be engine-powered or connect to an on-site electrical supply.

what is on offer with this scheme, consider the requirements for their farm and if this is right for them, register using the new online portal and then make their applications as quickly as possible.

If accepted, they should give themselves as much time as possible to make the equipment purchases, remembering the rules around paperwork, audit trails and financing options.”

MORE INFORMATION

Applications to all sections of the FETF scheme are made online through the RPA website. Visit gov.uk/government/ publications/farming-equipment-andtechnology-fund-2024

Slurry separators, both mobile and fixed, can be purchased with grant funding.

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A pneumatic squeeze crush

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Includes a sliding back gate operated from outside of the crush and race to act as an anti-backing device

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Email: sales@drainjetter.co.uk | www.drainjetter.co.uk

Grants Available

on these type of Drainjetters only

MD 50 and MD 100 including Duo Drum Pumps are 200 l / m at 50bar

To comply these, have self-propelling jetting nozzle to pull the pipe into the drain.

ETF416 - Field drain cleaner

FETF416 - Field drain cleaner

Expected average cost of item £12,306

Percentage paid towards item: 50% Grant amount (based on a quantity of 1)

£6,153

Score: 59

This item is new for 2024.

Item must:

•  be a field drain cleaner

•  have a PTO driven self-priming high-pressure pump producing a minimum 200L per minute at 50 bar pressure

•  come with a minimum 100m (20mm in diameter) 50 bar rated high pressure hose

•  have a hose reel

•  have a minimum 10m suction hose with filter

•  have a pressure regulator

•  have a self-propelling jetting nozzle to pull the pipe into the drain

You must provide this item’s serial number when you submit your claim for payment.

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