New grants to improve farm productivity
The Rural Payments Agency has recently released a new grant scheme in England called the Transformation Fund – Water Management.
It provides grants for capital items to improve farm productivity through more efficient use of water for irrigation, and to secure water supplies for crop irrigation by the construction of on-farm reservoirs and the adoption of best practice irrigation application equipment.
The grant can be used for the following – reservoir construction and infrastructure; irrigation equipment; and technology, for example software to monitor soil moisture levels and schedule irrigation.
Grants can cover up to 40 per cent of the eligible costs of a project with a minimum grant threshold of £35,000, and a maximum grant threshold of £500,000. The minimum total eligible cost of a project would therefore be £87,500. The application process has an initial application deadline of January 12, 2022.
Contact your local McCartneys rural professional team member for more information.
Beth Gilbert is a rural professional at McCartneys.
