New Slurry Infrastructure grant will help farmers improve their
slurry storage.
Farmers in England will soon be able to apply for grants of up to
£250,000 to improve their slurry storage, helping them to prevent
water and air pollution and make the best of their organic
nutrients.
Around half of slurry stores in England are not fit-for-purpose,
forcing farmers to spread slurry when there is no crop need,
wasting valuable fertiliser and causing preventable air and water
pollution. This means many farms can end up failing to comply
with their legal obligations for storage and spreading of slurry.
Investing in good slurry management is an important step that
farmers can take to protect the environment. Slurry is a valuable
source of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which can be used to
grow crops.
The first round of the Slurry Infrastructure grant, which will be
administered by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and opens for
applications on Tuesday 6 December, will make £13 million
available for livestock farmers to build six months of slurry
storage capacity.
Guidance for the
grant, which will run over multiple years, has been published
today, with farmers able to apply for grants of £25,000 -
£250,000 towards the cost of slurry stores, covers and supporting
equipment. Grants can be used to build, replace or expand
storage. They can also contribute towards a range of solutions
like lagoons, steel and concrete ring tanks and large slurry
bags.
Farming Minister said:
We know livestock farmers want to invest in slurry systems that
support quality food production and protect the environment, but
many are put off by high infrastructure costs and difficulty
accessing finance.
The Slurry Infrastructure grant will tackle this, helping farmers
to invest in future-proof slurry storage that supports thriving
farms while cutting pollution and allowing nature to prosper.
When badly managed, the nitrate and phosphate in slurry end up in
rivers, streams and the sea and can cause harmful algal blooms
which block sunlight and deplete oxygen, causing damage to
natural habitats and wildlife. Slurry also releases large amounts
of ammonia into the atmosphere, which returns to the land as
nitrogen. The build-up of nitrogen causes certain plants to
thrive, limiting species diversity and harming vulnerable
habitats.
Enlarging and covering slurry stores will help reduce the 60% of
nitrate pollution, 25% of phosphate pollution and 87% of ammonia
emissions that come from agriculture. It will also help farmers
to cut costs on artificial fertilisers, delivering long-term
productivity benefits through improved nutrient management and
soil health.
Paul Caldwell, CEO of the RPA, said:
Improving slurry storage offers farmers an opportunity to reduce
the environmental impact of their businesses and cut input costs.
We hope this scheme, which is the result of months of work with
farmers and industry, will receive a significant number of
applications for this first and future rounds.
The grant is the result of months of co-design with farmers and
experts from across sectors. It builds on support Defra already
provides for slurry equipment and best practice through the
Farming Equipment and Technology Fund and Countryside
Stewardship, and will offer farmers an opportunity to build
storage systems that exceed storage regulations, support
spreading regulations, and improve nutrient use on farm.
Full guidance for the grant has been published today before
applications open on 6 December. The guidance explains what the
grant offers, the scheme rules and how to apply. It also includes
resources to help farmers plan their storage and information for
Local Planning Authorities. The online application window will
run until 31 January 2023. All applicants will be told whether
they have been shortlisted for full application.
Depending on demand in the first round, applicants will be
prioritised in areas where action is most needed to reduce water
and air pollution from agriculture.
