Less than two weeks to submit final Defra productivity grant claims
19th May 2021 / By Alistair Driver
Farmers are reminded that the latest round of the Countryside Productivity Small Grant Scheme (CPSG) will close on May 31.
The CPSG scheme is designed to help farmers invest in specific items of equipment to boost the productivity and efficiency of their farm.
Grants of between £3,000 and £12,000 were available to invest in new and innovative equipment, including, for pigs, handling and weighing systems, piglet creeps, ammonia monitors and livestock monitoring cameras.
Applicants had until November 4, 2020, to request grants for eligible items listed under the scheme.
More than 3,800 farmers had grants worth £21 million approved and they have until midnight on May 31 to submit their claim.
By then, they must have:
- bought all the items
- paid for in full
- installed all items applied for, and
- submitted a single claim.
Further conditions apply, including to delivery extensions. Applicants with delivery issues should contact RPA.
Applicants who do not wish to continue with their claim are invited to inform the Rural Payment Agency by emailing CPSGClaims@rpa.gov.uk and include the RPA CPSG reference number provided in the Grant Funding Agreement (GFA) email.
More details can be found HERE
Farming Minister Victoria Prentis said: "The third round of the Countryside Productivity Small Grant Scheme will close at the end of this month and I urge all farmers from the livestock, dairy, arable and horticultural sectors to submit their claim as early as possible to make the most of the support available through this scheme.
"Technology and modern equipment have a huge impact on the day-to-day productivity of our farms. The first two rounds of the CPSG scheme have successfully provided over £30 million of financial support for the purchase of equipment that helped improving the efficiency of more than 4800 farms across England."
Sustainable Farming Incentive
Defra has also announced that more than 2,000 farmers have applied for the pilot of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, due to start in October 2021.
2,178 farmers responded to the Expressions of Interest that opened in March. Successful candidates will be contacted by the end of May and will be asked to develop their applications from June, leading to the first pilot agreements going live from October 2021.
Interest came from a diverse range of farms and regions in England which Defra said will ensure good nationwide coverage when the pilot is implemented.
The Sustainable Farming Incentive is the next step in the Government’s plans to reward farmers and land managers for sustainable farming practices that enhance the environment.
It is the first of three new environmental schemes to be piloted and co-designed. Further information on the other two schemes, Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery, will be shared later this year.