Shake up for grants to help farmers protect environment

Government grants to help farmers meet the cost of environmental protection controls on storing and spreading manure are to be revamped.

Ministers have responded to European Commission requirements by making changes to the Farm Waste Grant Scheme, worth more than #7.6million over the next two years, which assists farmers in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) to buy new or better manure or slurry storage facilities.

NVZs are areas at particular risk of being damaged by nitrates from fertilisers and the spreading of livestock manures.

The scheme will now run until 31 March 2006, after which it will end permanently in all current NVZs.

Farmers must in future get Defra approval before starting work. Until now claims for grants have been considered after work has been completed.

New deadlines have been set for grant applications:

- 31 December 2003 for work to be undertaken before 31 October 2004

- 31 August 2004 for work to be undertaken before 30 September 2005

- Farmers with land in NVZs designated in 1996 must apply by 31

December 2003

Latest date for all claims is 31 October 2005 to enable them to be processed before the scheme closes.

In the event that bids for grants exceed the total amount available, applications will be judged on a points system based on environmental benefits.

Farmers must back up grant applications with information on business viability and farm management experience or agricultural qualifications.

Farmers who have already committed themselves to expenditure under the scheme can submit claims for grants on eligible expenditure under the previous arrangements.

Defra is writing to all livestock farmers in NVZs to explain the changes in detail, and a booklet about the scheme is being revised and will be available shortly.