Defra commits another £30 million to Countryside Productivity scheme
11th Oct 2018 / By Alistair Driver
Defra has committed a further £30 million for further rounds of the Countryside Productivity Small Grants scheme (CPSGS).
Defra commits another £30 million to Countryside Productivity scheme The scheme helps farmers buy the equipment they need to boost productivity and increase yields. The next application window will open in early 2019, with over £30 million available for future funding rounds for farmers.
The first round of funding for small grants was launched in February and the government is on course to grant more than £15 million to farmers who applied to buy new kit. Grants of £3,000 - £12,000 were awarded to farmers to purchase equipment costing between £12,000 and £30,000.This will include equipment specific to cattle, sheep and pig farmers, as well as precision farming and resource management equipment for arable farmers.
You can read NPA senior policy advisor Ed Barker's guide to the scheme here
Defra Secretary Michael Gove made the announcement ahead of the Government’s Agri-Tech Investment roundtable in London today.
He said: “The UK is a world-leader for talent in agriculture and technology, so there are real opportunities for our burgeoning agri-tech sector. Harnessing technology enables our hard working farmers to become even more productive and environmentally efficient.
“We are already seeing the rewards of investing in agri-tech, with around £15 million of new funding announced today for farmers to purchase hi-tech equipment. We know that by embracing technology – such as fruit ripeness spectrometers or calving detectors – farm businesses can become more efficient, productive and resilient.”
Following industry feedback, new items have also been added to the list of equipment eligible for funding in the second round.
More information about the scheme and the items eligible for the first round of funding are listed here.
Further details will be published in early 2019 when the next round of funding opens for applications.