The future for slurry investment
DEFRA has signalled its intention to offer an extended range of grants to tackle air quality issues in the agricultural sector.
The air quality grants, which will sit alongside the water capital grants as part of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, are expected to be available for items and works that will help reduce ammonia emissions, although the final details are yet to be announced.
To obtain a grant an applicant also needs to have planning approval for the building.
Looking further ahead, DEFRA has also announced a slurry investment scheme as part of its ‘Path to Sustainable Farming’ incorporated into the seven-year transition plan. The aim of this scheme will be to provide capital funding to improve slurry storage and is likely to launch in autumn 2022.
Currently Mid-Tier will principally appeal to farmers with lower output levels or farms in target areas. By 2024 when the BPS will be reduced by circa 50 per cent, Mid-Tier is likely to be more appealing to other farm types. I encourage farmers and landowners to seriously consider schemes in the next three years.
In my view it will never get easier to get planning consent to expand your livestock or manure facilities.
Shaun Jones is a rural professional director at Halls.
