AECS was launched to promote land management practices in Scotland which benefit the natural environment
Scottish farmers who are considering erecting or upgrading slurry storage to meet new regulations are being told to start planning and preparing now.
Grant funding for slurry storage is being made available through the wider Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS).
The Scottish government said in September that a new round of the scheme would reopen for applications in the new year.
Amongst other items, it will support farmers with slurry storage options. However, funding amount remains unknown.
Under new rules, all farms where livestock slurry is produced will be required to have 22 weeks slurry storage capacity by January 2026.
Slurry stores constructed before September 1991 have until 2026 to be compliant with the new storage requirements, but those constructed after this date must be compliant by 2024.
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has committed to working with farmers who have less than 22 weeks storage after January 2026 with the aim reaching compliance as quickly as possible.
Around 60 Scottish farms applied for slurry storage funding in the 2023 round, largely due to the short application window.
NFU Scotland has urged farmers to start the planning process now for the 2024 round.
“We have prior notice of the grant funding returning in 2024," the union explained.
"There is no commitment yet to funding beyond that so now is the time for those anticipating investment in slurry storage to plan ahead so that they are ready to apply when the scheme opens.”