More than 3,800 farmers are set to benefit from £21 million in
productivity-boosting equipment from the third and final round of
the government’s Countryside Productivity
Small Grants (CPSG) scheme.
The Rural Payments Agency notified successful applicants of their
awards in late November and is now encouraging farmers to speak
to their suppliers to confirm the items they wish to order are
available before accepting their grant by using the acceptance portal by 18
January 2021.
Under the scheme, farmers applied for grants of between £3,000
and £12,000 to invest in new and innovative equipment – from
livestock monitoring cameras to precision farming technology –
which help businesses save time and money and improve
productivity.
Applicants have until midnight on the 31 May 2021 to buy and
install all their items, and submit their claim for payment. This
deadline has been extended by two months to allow for potential
delays caused by the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Today’s announcement means that £60 million has been allocated to
farmers investing in technology to boost their productivity since
the scheme opened in 2018.
Although the CPSG scheme is closing, government support for the
investment in technology will continue as outlined in the
Agricultural Transition
Plan. As part of this, the government set out plans for the
Farming Investment Fund which will support innovation and
productivity. The fund will provide targeted support to
businesses so that they can invest in equipment, technology, and
infrastructure that will improve their productivity and deliver
environmental and other public benefits.
There will be two levels of the Farming Investment Fund:
- Farming Equipment and Technology Fund, which will offer small
grants to contribute towards the purchase of a list of specified
items
- Farming Transformation Fund, which will provide larger grants
towards the cost of more substantial investments in equipment,
technology or infrastructure, with the potential to transform
business performance.
Rural Payments Agency Chief Executive Paul Caldwell said:
It’s great to see that funding for all the eligible
applications is being made for round three of this popular
scheme. I would encourage all our customers to contact their
suppliers early to ensure their items can be delivered ahead of
the claim deadline.
Innovation and technology has real-life impact across the
farming sector, so I’m delighted to be able to help unlock this
potential for many farmers.
More information on the Countryside Productivity Small Grants
scheme can be found here.
