Farmers are reminded that they have just over a week to apply for the next round of grants under the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF)
Under the scheme, pig farmers across England can apply for grants of up to £25,000 for equipment to help boost productivity, manage slurry or improve animal health and welfare, worth a total of £46.7 million.
As under previous iterations of FETF, there will be plenty of options for pig farmers. For example, just some of the animal health and welfare options include:
- Fixed handling system for pigs
- Electronic pig weighing and sorting facilities
- Enclosed piglet creep with heat pad
- Automatic curtain system for pig housing
- Hanging enrichment toys for pigs
- Individual ad lib farrowing feeder
- Rubber coverings for slatted floors in pig buildings
- Automatic monitoring system (main unit) for pig housing
- Feed bin weighing system for pigs
- Portable loading ramps.
You can see the full list HERE.
Slurry items include:
- Robotic slurry pusher/collector
- Mobile and fixed slurry separators
- Real time inline nutrient analysis of slurry.
You can see the full list HERE.
Productivity items are more general. You can see the full list HERE.
FETF opened on May 29 and will close on 10 July. The full list of eligible items and how to apply can be found HERE.
Investor Partnerships
In addition, the £5m Investor Partnerships programme will blend government grant money with private investment to bring cutting edge technology to market, giving farmers and food producers faster and more widespread access to state-of-the-art innovations.
A successful pilot has already reduced reliance on seasonal labour through bringing high-yield broccoli harvesters to market and helped crops grow healthier and faster without chemicals by using new seed cleaning technologies.
Defra said this new grant will go even further to protect food supply chains and create a more sustainable, profitable agricultural sector.
FIP Investor Partnerships will open from June 2 to July 2. The Farming Innovation Programme will deliver the Investor Partnerships scheme alongside Innovate UK.
Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner said: “Equipment and technology help drive farming forward and we will work with investors to fund more resilient, sustainable farms boosting profitability, productivity and food security.
“This is the Plan for Change in action and these grants will help provide our farmers with the equipment necessary to adapt, compete, and grow no matter what challenges lie ahead.”