The application window will close at midday on 3 September 2019, so farmers will need to act fast to get their applications in. The good news is that it is a simple on-line application process.
Grants are paid at 40% of standard costs (50% in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly) as listed in the handbook. Farmers (including livestock, dairy, arable and horticultural sectors) based in England can apply for this grant.
The minimum application value is £3,000 and maximum £12,000. Applicants can apply for Round 2 even if they were successful in obtaining grant funding in Round 1, but only to a maximum cumulative total of £12,000 worth of grant funding across all rounds of the scheme.
Grants are available for equipment for slurry management, precision farming, soil and nutrient management that can be used to help protect soil, water and air including:
- Trailing shoe slurry applicator including macerators - can reduce ammonia emissions by 30-60% compared with splash plate
- Dribble bar slurry applicator – can reduce ammonia emissions by 30%
- Shallow injection systems – can reduce ammonia emissions by 70%
- Robotic slurry pusher/collector with intelligent software to navigate passageways - more frequent scraping can reduce ammonia emissions by 15%
- Slurry flow meter – more accurate application rates
- Slurry hose reelers
- Variable Rate Controller for sprayers and fertiliser spreaders – to improve accuracy of application
- Cover Crop Rollers 3m/6m – to bruise cover crop before direct drill
- Measuring nitrogen levels in crops using light reflectance – hand held or tractor mounted sensors for making more accurate Nitrogen applications and reducing losses
- Direct drill – to protect soil structure
- GPS light bar, GPS Autosteer and GPS linked to auto steer and implement control – reduces spray/spreader overlaps and protects field boundaries
- Pasture Plate Meter (Handheld or trailed) – to measure grass growth for fertiliser applications and grazing
- Grassland Sward Lifters – to improve soil structure and rain infiltration
- UV Water Treatment System – use with rainwater harvesting
- Hydraulic ram pumps – to provide water to livestock when fencing watercourses
For further information and the Countryside Productivity Small Grants scheme handbook - https://www.gov.uk/
Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) provides advice to farmers in high priority areas for water quality. The Small Grant Scheme is a great opportunity to help farmers get new equipment to address water pollution and ammonia emissions from farming.