Last chance to apply for £12,000 Countryside Productivity grants

Producers have just one day left to apply for grants of up to £12,000 under the latest round of the Government’s Countryside Productivity Small Grants (CPSG) scheme.

The third and final round, worth a total of £25 million for productivity-boosting farming equipment, is similar to the previous rounds in what it has on offer for pig producers.

Under the scheme, farmers can apply for grants of between £3,000 and £12,000 for 40% of costs to buy new and innovative equipment, but there is a tight deadline. Farmers will have until midday on November 4 to make an application to the Rural Payments Agency.

A number of new items were added to the list last year and the sort of equipment covered of interest to pig producers includes:

• Fixed handling systems for pigs (indoor and outdoor)
• Electronic pig weighing and sorting systems
• Piglet creeps
• CCTV cameras
• Ammonia and CO2 monitors.

Farmers who have successfully applied for grants in previous rounds of the scheme will be able to apply for different pieces of equipment within this final round up to the scheme’s limit of £12,000 per farmer.

More information on the  scheme and the handbook for this round can be found here.

Useful grants 

NPA chief executive Zoe Davies said: “While these grants aren’t massive, they can be very useful for pig businesses. Grants are available in a number of areas where farmers might be looking to invest, given policy developments, such as ammonia monitoring and CCTV.

“I would urge producers to have a good look through the options, but please note that time is tight, so don’t put it off – the deadline is just a few short weeks away!” 

To date, £35m has been allocated to farmers in the scheme’s first two funding rounds.

Farming Minister Victoria Prentis said: “Helping our farmers to boost their productivity is absolutely essential, and I’m delighted we’ve been able to make £25 million in grants available to farmers to invest in the latest technology.”

RPA chief executive Paul Caldwell said: “I would encourage all our customers to consider how this offer may benefit their business or help them to prepare for their future farming and apply for a small grant.”

Although this is the final round of the Small Grants scheme, powers have been included in the Agriculture Bill to allow the government to provide financial assistance to support farmers to invest in equipment, technology and infrastructure to boost their productivity and deliver environmental and other public benefits.

Defra said further detail on the support available from 2021 is due to be released later this year.