£120 million of funding will be made available to support
farmers, grow businesses, and generate thousands of jobs in rural
communities, announced Environment Secretary today at the Oxford Farming
Conference.
Rural and farm businesses will soon be able to apply for the next
round of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE)
Growth Programme, which will help new businesses get off the
ground and support existing companies to grow, develop new
products and access new export markets.
Funding has already benefited dozens of businesses across
England, including the Biddenden fruit handling company in Kent,
which received £70,000 to install new equipment – leading to two
new products and three new jobs – and Carvannel Free Range Dairy
Ltd in Cornwall, which received over £80,000 to diversify their
business and develop a new milk processing factory.
Speaking after the Oxford Farming Conference, Environment
Secretary said:
A quarter of England’s businesses are based in the countryside
and this funding will give rural start-ups, family-run
businesses and farmers looking to diversify the boost they
need.
The Growth Programme has already supported a range of projects,
from installing cutting-edge equipment to restoring flood
plains, and the next round will help create more jobs, sell
more products and help us access new markets.
As well as boosting businesses and creating jobs, past projects
have benefited the natural environment – with money granted to
Dovecote Farm in Northants helping restore flood-plain meadows
and grassland along the Nene Valley, while supporting species
like otters.
Confirmation of next steps for the Rural Development Programme
for England follows the Chancellor’s recent
guarantee on supporting projects signed before we leave
the EU, providing they are good value for money and are in line
with domestic strategic priorities.
The £120 million fund will sit alongside recently announced
funding for other RDPE projects, including woodland creation and
a flood action facilitation fund. Overall the RDPE will help
protect 2.5 million hectares of farmed land, create 6,750 rural
jobs and contribute to planting of 11 million trees.
