The UK Environment Secretary, Steve Barclay, has announced an additional £45 million in funding for farming innovation. In his keynote speech at the Country Land and Business Association conference in London, Barclay emphasized his commitment to supporting British farmers and rural businesses.
The funding will be made available through competitions and grants as part of the government’s £168 million investment this year. Its aim is to foster innovation, increase productivity, and improve animal welfare in the agriculture sector.
One significant initiative is the Improving Farming Productivity Grant, which will offer £30 million in capital grants ranging from £25,000 to £500,000. This grant will support the adoption of robotic and automatic equipment on farms. It will also allocate grants of £15,000 to £100,000 for solar equipment that can be installed on rooftops and float on irrigation reservoirs, contributing to energy resilience and renewable energy generation on farms.
The Large R&D Partnership will provide an additional £8 million for industrial research and experimental development projects. Furthermore, the Research Starter Round 4 competition will offer £850,000 to identify and accelerate new agricultural solutions.
The funding aims not only to increase efficiency and productivity in farming but also to equip farmers with the knowledge and tools necessary to maintain food security. Barclay’s speech highlighted the government’s unwavering support for British farmers, acknowledging their contributions to the economy and the care they provide to the countryside.
In addition to funding for innovation, Barclay announced the launch of the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF). With a total fund of £5 million, individual grants of up to £100,000 will be available to farmers, enabling them to develop nature projects that can attract private sector investment.
The NEIRF grants will help farmers blend public and private investment and align with the government’s environmental land management schemes. These schemes aim to produce food sustainably while promoting environmental outcomes such as carbon sequestration and natural flood management.
The government’s commitment to innovation and technology in the farming sector is part of its £2.4 billion annual investment to support the industry until the end of this parliamentary term. Alongside the funding, the government has introduced new farming schemes, including Countryside Stewardship, Landscape Recovery, and the Sustainable Farming Incentive, to prioritize sustainable food production and environmental conservation.
The funding and support for innovation build upon the success of previous competitions and grant rounds. The Farming Innovation Programme, led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in partnership with Innovate UK, has already allocated over £125 million to 150 projects involving 400 organizations.
Winners of these initiatives have already showcased the practical applications of innovation and automation in the sector. For instance, the partnership between Bradley Farms and Harper Adams University has utilized advanced robotics and intelligent software to develop ‘The Fieldsman’—a robot that collects crucial data on crop production, growth, health, and yields in blueberry plantations.
Another success story is H.L. Hutchinson Limited, which is developing new systems to assess and measure fruit tree status, aiming to enhance environmentally sustainable crop production and increase efficiency and yield while reducing costs and environmental impacts.
Woodcote Farming Ltd, which received a grant through the Improving Farming Productivity Grant, has invested in Farmdroid robots to automate flower planting and weed control. This has resulted in higher crop yields, reduced labor requirements, and decreased pesticide usage.
The third round of the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund supported the Environmental Farmers Group (EFG) with £100,000 to establish the Green Avon Valley Project. This initiative aims to help farmers understand natural capital assets and tap into public and private sector investments. The EFG now comprises 257 farmers covering 140,000 hectares.
The additional funding opportunities announced by Barclay will be available in the coming weeks, allowing farmers and businesses to continue driving innovation and sustainability in the sector.
Overall, the government’s investment in farming innovation positions British farmers for a more sustainable and profitable future, ensuring the UK maintains its high food security standards.
