Farming Minister, George Eustice, announced the Countryside Productivity Small Grant Scheme at the Tech 2018 event, on 7 February. The scheme will be open for farmers to apply online for funding of between £3,000 and £12,000 for up to 40% of the cost of eligible equipment.
This is the latest scheme to be launched under the wider Countryside Productivity Scheme launched in July, 2017. The scheme has been designed to provide financial support to a range of different projects in the farming and forestry sectors, with areas including:
- Water resource management and reservoirs
- Improving forestry productivity
- Adding value to agri-food
- Improving farm productivity
At the Dairy Tech event in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, alongside Lord Curry and RABDF chairman Mike King, the minister welcomed the scheme to attendees.
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.”
Whereas the scheme was announced at a dairy conference, it spreads further afield to “a range of innovative items from which most farmers could find something they would want to apply for”. Further information can be found on Government’s Countryside Productivity Scheme website.
The scheme is funded through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development via the Rural Development Programme for England and is open to applications from February 7 to March 14, 2018.
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