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In April, I blogged about the result of the primary spherical of Slurry Infrastructure grants. In that put up, I mentioned we have been planning to launch 2 additional, bigger rounds in Autumn 2023 and 2024.
I’m happy to say that we’re on the brink of open the second spherical of Slurry Infrastructure grants in November. To assist farmers prepare, we printed the full steerage for the grant on GOV.UK.
I’ll host a webinar concerning the scheme on 9 November 2023. You’ll put your inquiries to me, the Rural Funds Company (RPA) and Surroundings Company throughout the session. Register to attend.
On this put up, I’ll clarify what’s new concerning the second spherical and how one can put together. I’ll additionally reply a query we frequently get requested about masking slurry shops by 2027.
The grant
Grants of between £25,000 and £250,000 can be found to enhance your slurry storage to transcend authorized minimums.
This can enable you to enhance the usage of natural vitamins in your farm, aiding productiveness and decreasing air pollution.
The grant is simply out there for slurry shops situated in England.
What’s new
Since launching the primary spherical, we’ve gathered worthwhile ideas how we are able to enhance the Slurry Infrastructure grants.
Based mostly on suggestions gathered on-line, at reveals and on farms, we’re making 5 adjustments to the scheme for the second spherical:
We’re altering how a lot storage you’ll be able to apply for. As within the first spherical, cattle farmers will nonetheless be supplied funding to attain 6 months slurry storage. However now pig farms can be funded for as much as 8 months storage. This can assist pig producers with much less land to soundly retailer natural vitamins till they’ll safely unfold it or export it to neighbouring farms to fulfill crop and soil wants.
You will get a grant in direction of a slurry separator as a part of your venture to extend storage capability. Separators could make slurry simpler to retailer, transfer across the farm and apply in keeping with a nutrient administration plan. The grant will present a contribution in direction of a screw or display screen press separator unit, gantry, and non permanent storage of stackable supplies. As that is the primary time we’re supporting separators on a big scale, Defra and the Surroundings Company printed up to date steerage on GOV.UK to make clear how slurry guidelines apply and finest apply.
We’ll help masking for current shops which are fit-for-purpose with impermeable covers. This can assist farms who’ve just lately invested in storage to additional enhance capability by stopping rainwater from getting into the shop. You need to use this feature alongside constructing a retailer, or by itself, as long as you meet the scheme storage necessities and minimal grant thresholds.
We’re including the choice to construct in-situ forged concrete shops as a substitute for round and panel shops, lagoons and baggage. This can enhance flexibility in sure areas the place it’s tougher to move in pre-cast panels.
We’re introducing an possibility for landlords to underwrite grant funding agreements, giving tenants extra confidence to use, the place their landlord agrees to take over their settlement in the event that they don’t full the venture.
We’re making these adjustments to enhance flexibility and environmental outcomes.
We respect some farms in spherical 1 might wish to amend their utility to benefit from the revised supply.
RPA will contact first spherical candidates with a time-limited alternative to replace their utility in the event that they wish to embrace these adjustments of their venture, with out having to reapply.
We aren’t planning to make additional adjustments to the objects on supply for the third spherical.
Managing demand
Within the second spherical, we can invite many extra initiatives to submit a full utility than we did final 12 months. Nonetheless, relying on what number of farms apply, we should have to restrict the variety of full purposes to forestall swamping suppliers.
If we have to, we’ll prioritise initiatives in areas the place coordinated motion is required to scale back water and air air pollution from farming. This can guarantee out there public cash is focused to areas the place it may well make the largest enchancment to environmental outcomes.
We now have considerably expanded these areas for the second spherical by including additional indicators for water high quality and utilizing the newest air high quality information.
You may view the areas by choosing Slurry Infrastructure Grant – Spherical 2 (England) on MAGIC. Within the up to date steerage printed immediately, we clarify what the precedence areas present and the way we’ll use them.
The chance of your venture being shortlisted in spherical 2 will depend upon what number of farms apply. Final 12 months, round 30% of initiatives shortlisted have been outdoors the prioritised areas.
We subsequently strongly encourage everybody who needs a grant to submit an expression of curiosity when on-line purposes open, wherever you might be situated.
What occurs subsequent
It is possible for you to to use in November. Subscribe to the weblog to obtain a reminder when the web checker, step one to use, opens.
As soon as the web checker closes, we’ll know the extent of demand.
Shortly after that, we’ll inform everybody whether or not they are going to be invited to submit a full utility this spherical or not
Should you aren’t shortlisted, there can be one other alternative to use in 2024, the place we’ll look to additional widen the goal areas.
You will get prepared to use by understanding how a lot slurry storage you might want to attain the scheme storage necessities.
You have to use AHDB’s newest model of slurry wizard — October 2023 or later — to do this. It’s been considerably up to date primarily based on final 12 months’s farmer expertise.
Overlaying slurry shops
One of many questions we get requested essentially the most is whether or not all slurry shops will must be lined by 2027. This was a suggestion made within the Clear Air Technique, printed in 2019.
Overlaying slurry shops is a well-established apply to minimise ammonia emissions. It’s set out within the Code of Good Agricultural Apply (COGAP). Earlier this 12 months, the federal government restated its dedicated to seek the advice of on guidelines to scale back ammonia emissions from administration of natural manures, together with necessities to cowl slurry and digestate shops.
You need to be assured that any shops constructed by way of the Slurry Infrastructure grant can be compliant with future guidelines. The scheme has been designed to put money into excessive specification shops and covers that maximise ammonia abatement.
All shops won’t must be cowled except or till new rules are introduced in. Farmers can be given loads of discover and help to implement any new adjustments. We don’t anticipate that any new guidelines would require current shops to be lined with impermeable covers by 2027.
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