Top scorers will achieve farm grant goals

The new ‘Countryside Productivity Small Grant Scheme’ is different to its larger counterparts due to the fact it uses an online application process and is targeted at supporting investment for specific pieces of agricultural equipment.

It is open to dairy, arable, livestock and horticultural farmers nationwide.

It was announced that a fund of £60m is to be made available and grants of between £3,000 and £12,000 are available towards up to 40 per cent of the eligible costs of the farm equipment. All items included within the scheme have been identified as helping achieve improvements to the following criteria - animal welfare, resource efficiency or nutrient management.

The application process is relatively simple and once submitted, the items in your application will be automatically allocated a score based on the degree to which they meet the above criteria. In turn, if your application scores highly enough, the grant will be awarded.

Categories for the eligible capital items are spilt into cattle equipment, sheep equipment, pig equipment, general livestock equipment, precision farming equipment, resource management equipment and other general equipment.

Eligible items include electronic sheep weigh scales, heat detection systems for cattle, badger proof feed holders, enclosed piglet creeps and heat pads, GPS for precision farming, yield mapping, direct/strip drills and dribble bars to name but a few. A full list of eligible items can be found in the handbook online or by contacting us.

The deadline for applications is midday March 14.

For businesses located in South Shropshire, the latest round of LEADER funding offers 40 per cent funding up to a maximum of £40,000.

This could fund the purchase of new, innovative machinery or help to build improved slurry storage facilities, for example.

This is a two-stage process, with an initial Expression of Interest submitted to Shropshire Council before being invited to submit a full application if the project is accepted for the grant with further supporting evidence.

For larger projects, the RDPE Countryside Growth Programme offers funding for business development, food processing and rural tourism infrastructure. This again offers 40 per cent but at a minimum of £35,000, or £20,000 for those outside the Southern Shropshire LEADER area.

This is for larger projects that create additional jobs, grow the business, use innovative technology, open new product markets and, where applicable, develop tourist attractions to extend the tourism season.

This is again a two-stage process, with an initial Expression of Interest submitted to the RPA before being invited to submit a full application with further supporting evidence.

Harriet Matthews is a surveyor at Berrys at Shrewsbury