Final call for technology funding
By Andrew Heskin, Partner and ARA specialist
The deadline for farmers and agricultural firms to apply for a share of £12.5 million grant funding is fast approaching.
Farmers, growers, businesses, and researchers are being invited to apply for a share of £12.5 million, with grants for projects worth between £500,000 and £1.5 million available.
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will match-fund projects, which will boost productivity and sustainable farming practices through the development of automation and robotic technologies on farms.
Past projects that received funding included fruit scouting robots, automated vegetable harvesters and new kinds of fertiliser.
This investment forms part of DEFRA’s £270 million Farming Innovation Programme, which was launched in October 2021.
More than £70 million has been spent so far on industry-led research and development in agriculture and horticulture.
Applications can be submitted from 9 January 2023, and project leads should be UK-registered businesses of any size while farmers can participate as part of a wider consortium.
Robotics and automated machinery seem set to play an increasingly larger role in the future of agriculture in order to offset issues which have beset the sector lately related to labour shortages and rising wage costs.
Are you looking to invest in technology in your business? To find out about how you could use capital allowances and deductions to offset these costs. Speak to our team today for advice.