Cutting edge farming projects to get share of £30 million of government funding

• Projects include genetic research to reduce methane emissions from cows and the use of drones to monitor animals
• Funding is alongside new £12.5 million competition to kickstart even more innovative solutions for sustainable and resilient farming
• Grants form part of the government’s work to build a sustainable and resilient farming sector

Up to £30 million has been awarded to cutting-edge farming projects that will boost food production, move towards net zero, and create a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector, the government has announced today (Wednesday 31 May). 

The projects announced today include: 

• Ground-breaking genetics research projects which could reduce methane emissions in cattle by 17% per generation, and produce a reliable UK-grown protein source that can replace soya in human foods
• Investigations into the use of drones and artificial intelligence to inspect and monitor animals to enable farmers to take action should animals go missing or need attention
• Efforts to develop biopesticides using fungal strains that help tackle pests in wheat crops, and to pin-point the genetics for creating slug resistant wheat

Alongside the £30 million set to be awarded to more than 50 successful projects from today, the government has also made a further £12.5 million available to fund innovative projects helping to deliver a more productive, resilient and sustainable agricultural sector.  

The funding is all part of the Farming Innovation Programme, run in partnership with UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) and delivered by Innovate UK, which is making £270 million in grants available before the end of the agricultural transition to fund research and development projects to help farmers and growers produce food more sustainably.  

Secretary of State for Agriculture Thérèse Coffey said: 

“Farmers are always forward-looking, and innovation is key to driving forward a resilient, productive and sustainable agriculture sector that puts food on our tables whilst protecting and restoring the environment.

“Alongside our new farming schemes, these grants will help to support farmers and pave the way for a technological transformation that will help produce food sustainably for generations to come.”  

Katrina Hayter, Executive Director Healthy Living and Agriculture of Innovate UK, said:  

“The competitions once again demonstrate the sheer breadth and quality of innovation within the UK agri-food space   

“We’re proud to be able to help deliver these funding and partnership opportunities to the sector, bringing together farmers, growers, technologists and researchers in a common aim of making the UK food system more sustainable and resilient.  

“Whether improving existing production or introducing novel foods and techniques, the winners have all risen to the innovation challenge and we look forward to supporting their development further.”   

These grants, alongside the government’s new flexible and accessible farming schemes, will ensure that farmers remain at the heart of the rural economy and putting food on our tables. 

It follows the Farm to Fork Summit earlier this month where the government announced a package of support for the farming sector, including new measures to ensure the sector remains at the forefront of adopting new technologies and techniques. This includes substantial investment to unlock the potential of precision breeding following royal assent for the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act, and a working group to bring plant breeders, food manufacturers and retailers together to agree an approach that enables these products to reach our shelves. 

£12.5 million for new ‘On-Farm Environmental Resilience’ competition

The new £12.5 million ‘On-Farm Environmental Resilience’ competition will see farmers and growers apply for up to £1 million in project costs to drive the development of new technology and innovative farming methods, with a focus on practical solutions that make a real impact on farms.  

Projects could find new ways to detect pests and prevent and manage disease; help farmers to reduce their fertiliser use; boost soil resilience; and manage threats from extreme weather and flooding. Projects researching how gene editing and methods including regenerative cropping could boost productivity and crop resilience are also encouraged to apply. 

Details for the new competitions feasibility strand can be found here and details for the competitions industrial research strand can be found here. UK registered businesses will be able to apply until Wednesday 19 July 2023.  

ENDS 

Notes to editors:  

Successful projects under the Farming Innovation Programme 

Up to £30 million is set to be awarded to as many as 58 successful projects in the four most recent rounds of the Farming Innovation Programme, with over 50 innovative projects awarded a share of over £18 million so far. The rounds were Climate Smart Funding, Sustainable Farm-Based Protein, Feasibility Round 2 and Research Starter Round 2.

Climate Smart Funding   

The Climate Smart Funding competition offered a share of up to £12.5 million to projects who were able to demonstrate solutions that help the agriculture sector to reduce emissions and reach net zero aims. Projects were required to identify how they supported farmers, growers and foresters in the UK to improve practices and tackle common issues.  

Example projects:   

• Aganalyst’s nitrogen efficiency project. Nitrogen based fertilisers are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. By using plants as sensors, this project will provide farmers with a Framework for improving Nitrogen efficiency (FINE) - a management tool to support better fertiliser utilisation and reporting. By using remote sensing, sensors and soil measurement, a more efficient approach can be taken to fertiliser timings and rates, supporting a more effective and profitable process. (£2,805,642 in Gov funding).  

• Beef genetics project run by Genus. This project provides targeted genetic solutions for farmers to create more value for the beef supply chain. Beef calves that  have a reduced carbon footprint are increasingly demanded by supply chain stakeholders in order to achieve UK carbon reduction targets. The project includes ground-breaking research showing the potential of ruminal microbiome-driven breeding to mitigate methane emissions, with the aim of a 17% reduction and a feed conversion ratio increase of up to 15% per generation. (£2,088,660 in Gov funding).  

Sustainable Farm-based Protein   

The Sustainable Farm-Based Protein competition also offered a share of up to £12.5million to applicants, this time focusing on the development of innovative solutions to increase the sustainability protein production. Covering areas such as livestock, plants, bioeconomy and novel animal feed production systems, the competition sought projects that would accelerate these technologies and support a sustainable protein industry.   

Example projects: 

• From the industrial research strand  -  MI:RNA’s Johne’s disease identification project. This project will combine a unique biomarker testing technology with AI to help detect early-stage Johne's disease, which leads to a significant reduction in milk yields and weight loss, as well as increasing the greenhouse gas production from affected animals. The project aims to further develop this technology to increase productivity, mitigate economic losses from the disease, and assist in achieving a sustainable, carbon-neutral dairy business model. (£395,850 in Gov funding)  

• From the feasibility strand -  sustainable control method project run by Crop Health and Protection. This project looks to provide sustainable and climate-resistant alternative products for legume farmers. It will identify new products to stimulate plant growth, increase tolerance to climatic stress, and help manage pests and diseases. These solutions will include natural products and living microorganisms, which would help reduce the dependency on fossil fuel derived products and increase resilience in the crops themselves. (£362,960 in Gov funding)  

• From the industrial research strand - PeaProtein project run by Openfolde Ltd. The project aims to have a significant impact on reducing the need for UK imports of soya. As well as delivering environmental sustainability, the project will provide new economic opportunities for farmers to replace soya with a home grown alternatives. 

Paul Billings, Managing Director of Germinal UK and Ireland, part of the Openfolde Group, said:

“Finding a sustainable alternative to soya is a priority for the food industry. Protein crops such as peas are ideal for the UK climate but one of our challenges is their flavour profile in human food.   

“This exciting breeding programme will use innovative research in pea genetics to develop new varieties with the goal to produce peas that are tasteless in processed food but retain nutritional value.” 

Feasibility Round 2   

This Feasibility competition formed part of the Programme’s Industry-Led R&D Partnerships Fund, and offered a share of up to £5.5million. Projects were asked to offer early-stage solutions that have the potential to improve productivity, sustainability and resilience across farming, with a view to meeting net zero ambitions.   

Example projects:   

• Synergy Farm Health’s bovine TB antibody testing. The project will carry out a longitudinal study with an antibody test to detect bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in bulk milk. The aim is to improve the control of bTB in dairy herds through better welfare surveillance, reducing overall costs for farms and the taxpayer. A successful outcome would also improve productivity in farms, and better inform the steps needed to control the spread of bTB among herds. (£385,348 in Gov funding)  

• FungiAlert’s biopesticide for wheat crops - aims to identify fungal strains that can help fight against both insect and fungal pests in wheat crops, and builds on the previous development of a dual-action biofungicide and bioinsecticide solution for UK cereal farmers. This dual-action product will have significant benefits for farmers, including reducing the costs associated with multiple applications of chemical pesticides, reducing mechanical damage from repeated spray applications, and reducing crop yield losses. (£224,194  in Gov funding)   

Research Starter Round 2   

The Research Starter Round 2 competition provided a fund of up to £1million, where farmers, growers and foresters can secure a share by identifying early-stage solutions to key food production issues. The competition is aimed at making innovation funding more accessible to a wider range of applicants..   

Example projects:   

• Passmore Brothers winter wheat project - looks at precision planting of wheat seeds, aiming to improve light capture and yield, while reducing disease and plant competition pressures. Combining the expertise from both farm and research partners, the project will consider the potential for seed-planting robot development if initial tests prove successful. (£30,298 in Gov funding)  

• TC and D Willoughby’s automated dairy cubicle cleaner - this project will investigate a novel technical solution to automate the cleaning of dairy cow cubicles. Led by the practical experience of a working dairy farmer, the project connects them with a local engineering company and an Agri-Tech Centre to progress the initial idea into a working prototype. The majority of UK dairy cows are comfortably housed in cubicles and keeping them clean and hygienic is a significant time and cost. This project tackles these issues, as well as helping to improve the welfare of the animals simultaneously. (£47,848 in Gov funding)  

£12.5 million On-Farm Environmental Resilience Competition. 

• Further details can be found on the UKRI website. More information from UKRI on the 50 winning projects can be found here. The link will be live before 10:00am on Wednesday 31^st May.
• The ‘On-Farm Environmental Resilience’ competition is the fourth part to the Farming Futures R&D Fund within the Farming Innovation Programme. These competitions are designed to drive forward large-scale research, development and demonstration projects to deliver solutions that will substantially improve the productivity and environmental sustainability of England's agricultural and horticultural sectors.  
• The ‘On-Farm Environmental Resilience’ competition will address the challenges to plants, crops and farmed animals, from both their biological (biotic) and physical environments (abiotic). The competition will fund collaborative projects that will enable sustainable and resilient farming. 
• The new ‘On-Farm Environmental Resilience’ competition is made up of two strands: 

• Strand one focuses on collaborative feasibility studies with project costs between £200,000 and £500,000 and lasting between 12 and 24 months. These feasibility studies will evaluate emerging solutions to develop innovations in agriculture, forestry and horticulture.  
• Meanwhile, strand two will focus on collaborative industrial research projects with costs between £500,000-£1 million lasting between 24 and 36 months (60 months for breeding projects). Successful industrial research projects will progress emerging solutions to new products, processes and services within the sector.