Thousands of farmers will benefit from £150 million in new
funding as the government opens a new round of its flagship
Capital Grants offer,
supporting sustainable food production and environmental
improvement.
The offer funds a wide range of on-farm projects – from tree
planting and flood prevention to improved slurry storage and
water filtration – helping farmers boost profitability while
protecting the environment.
Last year alone, Capital Grants helped plant over 4,000 miles of
hedgerows and upgrade slurry systems to keep our rivers clean –
real, tangible improvements for farming and the
environment.
Environment Secretary said:
British farmers work tirelessly to feed the nation and look after
our countryside. This major investment will give them the tools
to cut pollution, restore nature, and grow their
businesses.
It forms part of the record £11.8 billion we've committed to
sustainable farming during this Parliament – boosting food
security, supporting rural growth, and protecting the
environment.
The announcement is the latest in a series of steps taken by the
government to support the farming industry. These include
slashing costs for food producers by cutting red tape on exports
to the EU, appointing former NFU president Baroness to recommend reforms to
boost farmers' profits, and ensuring farmers get a bigger share
of food contracts across our schools, hospitals, and
prisons.
Farmers and land managers are now able to apply for a total of 78
items, ranging from supporting natural flood management projects
to improving water quality on farms under this new round of the
Capital Grants offer. Four new items have been added including
assessing woodland condition, creating wildfire management plans,
repairing drystone walls and hosting educational
visits.
Changes are also being introduced to ensure that more farm
businesses can access these grants - making it fairer for farmers
by setting funding limits that maximise the number of farms
benefiting, while enabling Defra to manage budgets more
effectively. This includes funding limits to four of the six
groups of capital items in this Capital Grants offer. An
application can include items from each of the six groups. The
funding limit for four of the groups is:
-
£25,000 maximum for each of the following three groups: water
quality, air quality, and natural flood management
-
£35,000 maximum for the group covering boundaries, trees, and
orchards
Defra will also listen to feedback from farmers and use it to
improve the offer ahead of the next round, which we plan to open
in 2026.
This comes as the Environment Secretary and Farming Minister head
to the Groundswell Show to discuss the new Capital Grants launch.
More details about the reformed SFI scheme will be published this
Summer.
This is part of the government's wider Plan for Change to grow
the rural economy, support our farmers and boost Britain's food
security.
