£50m boost to bring AI and robotics onto UK farms

A £50m investment drive will fast-track new technology onto UK farms, as ministers push to boost productivity and cut costs.

The funding package, combining £8m of government support with around £40m of private investment, is expected to deliver up to a dozen new agri-tech tools, as farmers face rising costs and labour shortages.

One project led by FA Bio is developing a “living” biopesticide using beneficial fungi to protect crops such as wheat and oilseed rape from pests including aphids and cabbage stem flea beetle.

Applied at planting, it could offer season-long protection while reducing the need for repeated chemical spraying.

Another project aims to improve environmental resilience, with Rhizocore identifying native fungi to help trees establish and grow more effectively, boosting survival rates and supporting carbon capture.

Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle said the investment is focused on practical outcomes.

“Farmers know the right tools can make all the difference,” she said.

She added that the funding would help get proven technology into farmers’ hands more quickly, supporting productivity and day-to-day operations.

Head of agrifood at Innovate UK Chris Danks said the programme is designed to help bring technologies to market faster.

“The success of this latest round shows how Investor Partnerships help high potential UK businesses grow and scale,” he said.

“By launching a new round, we are continuing to back innovation that gives farmers access to practical, scalable technologies that improve productivity, resilience and sustainability.”

However, some in the sector say adoption of new technology remains challenging due to cost and practicality on farm.

The programme is being delivered through the government’s Farming Innovation Programme, which works alongside private investors to support the development and commercialisation of agri-tech businesses.

Officials said the approach is intended to help unlock further investment and ensure new technologies reach farms more quickly.

A further £5m funding round opening this spring will target the next generation of agri-tech firms, with a focus on scaling up innovations that can improve profitability and sustainability across the sector.

Industry figures involved in the projects said the blended funding model is helping bring new technologies closer to commercial use.

Rhizocore chief executive Dr Toby Parkes said the support would accelerate development of its products.

“The investor partnership grant will accelerate our data collection… resulting in more trees surviving and growing faster,” he said.

FA Bio co-founder Dr Angela de Manzanos said the programme would help reduce reliance on synthetic inputs.

“The Investor Partnerships programme enables us to fast-track a biological alternative to chemical insecticides… reduce reliance on synthetic inputs, protect yields, and improve farm sustainability,” she said.

The initiative forms part of wider efforts to support innovation in agriculture, as the sector looks to balance productivity gains with rising costs and environmental pressures.