News
Farmers Urged To Take Advantage Of Grants To Improve Water Resources
Now that the application deadline for a £14 million pot of water resource management grants has been extended until June 2018, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is calling on farmers around the UK to take full advantage of this funding pot.
The grants were first announced in July of this year as part of the Countryside Productivity Scheme and the deadline was first set as April 2018, but this has now been extended, Farmers Weekly reports.
The aim of the funding pot is to boost farm and horticultural productivity through more efficient water usage for irrigation, as well as securing water supplies for crop irrigation through the construction of reservoirs situated on farms themselves.
Katy Anderson, rural adviser with the CLA, reminded farmers that grants such as these aren’t always available and a similar scheme actually closed in January last year so it’s vital that those in the industry who are looking to improve their water resource management practices and procedures don’t miss out.
“The scheme is also EU-backed so the Brexit process casts further doubt over long-term funding packages like this … Applicants with projects demonstrating improved productivity, business growth, efficiency and better financial resilience stand more chance of gaining funding. Collaborative ventures between farms also stand a better chance,” she went on to say.
This comes as the Water for Food Group calls on the government to designate water for food production as an essential water need, alongside water for energy and for people, and for Whitehall to therefore prioritise it accordingly.
The UK’s ability to sustain and boost efficient food production at affordable prices is already under threat because of greater water scarcity as a result of droughts and climate change, as well as increased water demands from other sectors. As such, it’s vital that government policy reflects the vital contribution that water makes to the economic performance of the agricultural sector.
You can apply for grants and submit your application under the Countryside Productivity Scheme via the official government website. Not only are there grants for water resource management and reservoirs, but also improving forestry productivity, improving farm productivity and adding value to agri-food.
There is a water resource management handbook available to help those considering applying work out if they’re eligible for the grant or not. Grant funding can be used to help pay for abstraction point, pump and pipework to fill a reservoir, irrigation pump, controls and underground water distribution mains, water metering equipment, software and sensors to optimise water application and so on.
The grants themselves are for a minimum of £35,000 and can cover up to 40 per cent of the eligible costs of a project. If the minimum amount of funding is £35,000, the minimum total eligible cost of a project would thus be £87,500. Only arable and horticultural businesses growing or planning to grow irrigated crops are eligible for these grants.
To book an appointment with water management consultants H2O Building Services, give us a call today on 01924 387 873 or email info@h2obuildingservices.co.uk