info@akcagric.co.uk | 01380 724 687
There are a number of current grant opportunities for farms and rural businesses. See a list below.
If you would like to discuss any of these in more detail please contact us.
Countryside Stewardship:
Water capital grant (max £10,000) – application window opens mid-February and closes July. Agreement start dates 1st January 2020.
2 year agreement
High priority areas only
Approval required by Natural England Catchment Sensit…
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A second round of the RDPE Countryside productivity small grant scheme has been released this week. Grants are available for between £3,000 and £12,000 for items identified to improve technical efficiency, animal health and welfare, resource efficiency and nutrient management.
Applications must be submitted before 3rd September.
Items available include:
Mobile and fixed cattle handling systems Badger proof feed troughs and lick holders Auto cattle weighing and identifying equipment Mobile and fixed sheep handling systems Cameras for monitoring livestock UV water treatment system… Read MoreAKC are working on behalf of AHDB to deliver farm benchmarking for arable farms across the south of England.
Farmbench is an easy to use online benchmarking tool that helps to identify where strengths and weaknesses lie within a farm business. By comparing results anonymously to farms with similar enterprises, Farmbench enables you to improve individual business performance and manage many of the challenges facing the sector, such as price volatility, Brexit, and economic uncertainty. This will ensure that your business is on the best possible footing for the future, allowing your…
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About the scheme
With the application deadline drawing near, the Countryside Productivity Scheme is offering its last chance for farmers who want to invest in innovative technology for their farm business, by offering grants between £35k to £1m under the Improving Farm Productivity Grant. Farmers from livestock, dairy, arable and horticultural sectors can apply for these grants which must aim to improve productivity through the following methods:
The use of robotic equipment and systems that aid crop and livestock productionsExample; mil…
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This is a standalone capital grant available under Countryside Stewardship
Applicant deadline: 30 April 2018
Applications can be submitted online, by post or by email. (Online applications must be accompanied by a map and supporting documents by post or email).
Agents submitting applications on a client’s behalf must have relevant permissions.
Maximum of one application per round.
Maximum grant available: £10,000
…
Read MoreThe Dairy Industry is currently under pressure from two key challenges- a lack of good quality farm labour and the confidence to invest in the future given recent milk price cycles. The challenge of getting people of my generation with the desire to work on Dairy farms is greater than ever as highlighted by a labour survey announced by Tim Brigstocke at the recent RABDF conference in London. The vast majority of participants to the survey had little interest due to the perceived working environment.
However, does this factor alone justify spend on a robotic milking system? I would argue no, as having conducted some recent analysi…
Read MoreHaving attended a recent open day on a trial farm in Hampshire growing commercial soya, it is clear that the interest and scope for growing the crop in the UK is growing considerably. The area has grown from 8Ha to 5,000 Ha in the last five years, with current estimations of 10,000 Ha to be grown next year in the UK.
The crop is traditionally grown in North & South America where the climatic conditions are suited towards growing large areas of the crop. However, due to big advancements in varieties over the past five years, species are now available which are more suited towards the UK market. The biggest difference is the strength of the stem of the plant, allowing the crop to be…
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Some of the key areas strengthened have been outlined below. Not every change is listed
BEEF AND LAMB
Standards affecting the use and recording of antibiotics have been bolstered across all livestock sectors, demonstrating the UK farming industry’s commitment to playing its part in tackling antimicrobial resistance. Further changes will be made in 2018 after the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) target recommendations and other industry initiatives are published to ensure the industry is fully aligned.
Animal medicines
A recommendation has been added that the highest priority critically important antibiotics are onl…
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On the 12th of July, we hosted our first ever Dairy Training Day aimed for knowledge exchange amongst professionals with regards to the challenges faced by our Dairy farming clients and their consultants!
Thanks to Andrew Bristol for hosting the event on his Dairy farm in Somerset. Working sessions included ‘Ration assessment’ by Barrie Audis, Andrew’s consultant, ‘Grazing Management Plan’ by AKC Consultant James Berry and ‘Planning Considerations for Industrial Agricultural Buildings’ by Paul Oakley of OPAC Ltd.
In the afternoon having also had a tour of the facilities, the working groups were encouraged to give their thoughts and views on the grazing management, sharing their thoughts with…
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As you may be aware the greening requirements under the Basic Payment Scheme have undergone a recent review. This was badged as making ‘greening simpler’ however as you will see below this is not the case!
The EU decision makers have brought in a series of changes which will have an impact on a significant number of businesses.
We have summarised these changes below, with the details which are known to date:
EFA catch/cover crop minimum period extended:… Read More
