New £60m productivity grant announced for dairy farmers

£60m farming productivity fund launched at Dairy-Tech
£60m farming productivity fund launched at Dairy-Tech

A new £60m grants scheme where farmers can bid for cash to buy new farm equipment has been announced today by the government.

Speaking to attendees and delegates at this year’s Dairy Tech even, Farming Minister George Eustice praised the variety of technology on show at the event and explained how farmers can benefit from the grants.

Many of the items eligible for funding are highly relevant to the dairy sector, including specialist foot trimming crushes and calving detectors, but there is a range of innovative items from which the majority of farmers can find something they would want to apply for.

Farmers can apply online to the Countryside Productivity Small Grant Scheme, requesting a grant between £3,000 and £12,000 towards the costs of farm equipment.

Opening the event alongside Lord Curry and the Chairman of the RABDF Mike King, Mr Eustice explained how the scheme has been designed with simplicity in mind, to save farmers valuable time.

He said the dairy industry is the UK’s largest agricultural sector.

“We want to make sure farmers can become more resilient, competitive and able to capitalise on the growing global interest in quality British produce as we leave the EU,” Mr Eustice said.

“By opening this small grants scheme, we hope more farmers will be able to access this equipment and embark on more innovative and ambitious projects.”

Last year, Defra opened a series of calls for larger grants through the Countryside Productivity scheme.

Farmers can apply for grants of over £35,000 for a range of different projects, including for making more efficient use of resources, processing products, and other innovative projects.