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The new Countryside Productivity Small Grant Scheme provides 40%* of funding towards specific pieces of agricultural equipment, which help to achieve improvements in animal welfare, resource efficiency or nutrient management. The 40% grant is for a minimum of £3,000 (i.e. minimum £7,500 spend) up to a maximum of £12,000 (£30,000 spend).
*Farmers in Cornwall will get funding at 50% of the standard cost of an item.
The scheme has a specific list of items it will provide grant funding towards including:
•Cattle equipment: mobile and fixed handling systems, cattle crushes, electronic weigh systems, calving detectors.
•Sheep equipment: mobile and fixed handling systems, sheep handler and electronic weigh scales.
•General livestock equipment: EID equipment, Auto EID drench gun, pasture plate meter.
•Precision farming equipment: standalone GPS units, variable rate controllers for sprayers and fertiliser spreaders and direct or strip till seed drills.
•Other general equipment: electric scraper systems, humidity controls for grain drying, digital weather station linked to computer with software,
Each item has a minimum specification and has been allocated a standard cost. Farmers can purchase items that exceed the specification but will only receive a grant on the standard cost.
If an application is approved, farmers have 150 days in which to purchase the equipment applied for. Grants will be paid following submission of a claim with a copy of the invoice for each item and bank statement to show that the items have been paid for.
Items purchased with grant funding must be kept in good repair and used for the same purpose as set out in the original application for five years.
The application is online only and must be submitted by midday on 14th March 2018.
Future rounds of the grant have not been guaranteed as it is dependent on the level of uptake this time, so if there is something of interest it is best to apply now.
If you would like further information or help with an application please contact Stags Professional Services department.
