£27 million for farmers to boost productivity
Farming Investment Fund (FIF) launched to help farmers invest in new equipment and technology in England.
The £27 million Farming Investment Fund (FIF) is open for applications to farmers, foresters, growers and contractors.
The fund, launched by Defra, will aid investment in new equipment, technology and infrastructure in England, with the aim of improving productivity, efficiency and the environment.
The FIF is split into two sections:
- Farming Equipment and Technology Fund - for grants between £2,000 and £25,000.
- Farming Transformation Fund - for grants between £35,000 and £500,000.
Responding to the announcement, CLA President Mark Tufnell said:
“We are pleased that Government is beginning to move more quickly in publishing details of new funding schemes.
"Funding will initially be available for water management projects and to support the purchase of a wide variety of modern equipment - but the timescales offered by DEFRA to register interest are exceptionally tight, so we encourage farmers, foresters, land managers and contractors to act immediately.
“As we are constantly telling Ministers, farming will only thrive under England’s new agricultural policy if government gives detailed and clear information to farmers about the whole range of new schemes, whilst also investing in improved productivity."
We still have a way to go, but the signals are welcome and reassuring. We look forward to further funding rounds.