More funding to reward efficient water and slurry storage on farms
5th April 2023
The government revealed additional funding will go towards helping farmers better manage slurry storage and store and use water more efficiently as part of the new Plan for Water announced yesterday (4th April).
Better slurry management on farms will reduce the amount of pollution runoff into rivers and streams, benefitting local communities and the wider environment.
To break down the financial barriers to upgrading slurry stores, nearly £34 million will be made available through the first round of the Slurry Infrastructure Grant – more than two-and-a-half times the original budget.
Guidance will also be released for the second round of the Water Management Grant, set to open for applications later in April. The scheme will provide £10 million in funding to help farmers manage their water use through better irrigation and more on-farm reservoirs.
Moreover, the government’s new Plan for Water was published on 4th April, providing data on water resources and the quality of water throughout the UK.
The aim of the publication is to transform the whole water system – addressing every source of pollution, including from storm overflows, agriculture, plastics, road run-off, chemicals and pesticides, as well as the pressures on our water supply as a result of climate change and population growth.
The government has also doubled funding to £15 million to give free advice to farmers across the country through the Catchment Sensitive Farming scheme. It is hoped the additional funding will accelerate the rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which will help farmers use their land in a way that keeps valuable nutrients and soil on the farm.
Commenting on the announcement, farming minister Mark Spencer said: “Communities across the country want to see clean and plentiful water in our rivers and streams, and farmers have a huge role in helping to deliver this.
“We know that farmers want to do the right thing, which is why – as part of today’s Plan for Water – we’re providing even more funding for farmers both to reduce their water pollution from slurry and better manage the water on their farms.”
With around half of slurry stores in England not being fit-for-purpose, the Slurry Infrastructure Grant provides farmers with between £25,000-£250,000 to build, replace or expand storage and can contribute towards a range of solutions like lagoons, steel and concrete ring tanks and large slurry bags.
The first round of the grant saw 1,200 applications received by Defra, and while the government wants to help as many farmers as possible, the high demand for grants must be balanced with the capacity of slurry store suppliers to increase production.
So far, 374 projects have been invited to submit a full application and receive a share of £33.9 million in funding – up from £13.2 million when the grant was first announced last year. This takes into account the types of store farmers have applied for, as well as an assessment of what the market could handle following conversations with suppliers and installers.
Meanwhile, the second round of the Water Management Grant will see £10 million in funding made available for farmers to improve farm productivity through more efficient use of water for irrigation and constructing on-farm reservoirs to secure water supplies for crop irrigation.
To support farms of all sizes, grants will range in value from £35,000 to £500,000. Applications will open later in April with an online checker available to help farmers determine their eligibility and likelihood of success.
