New grant opportunities to help farmers have been announced. The new grants will help farmers boost their businesses and add extra value to their produce. The Adding Value grant opened for applications on 9 June 2022 and will close at midnight on 21 July 2022. The funding will be offered in sums between £25,000 and £300,000.
In total, £30 million worth of funding will be provided from the Farming Investment Fund (FIF) for farmers in England to purchase equipment to process, diversify and add value to their products after they have been harvested or reared. This could include premises and equipment for the preparation or processing of agricultural produce, for example turning milk into cheese or yoghurt, processing meat into sausages, and potatoes into crisps or chips; or equipment such as vending machines and display facilities for selling food direct to customers.
The Environment Secretary, commented:
‘We want to support the choices that farmers make for their businesses. We are spending around £600 million on farm-based innovation over the next three years, and the money announced today will support farmers across England with their investment plans, to improve their profitability and productivity.’
It was also announced that new Slurry Infrastructure grants, worth £13 million, will be available later this year. These new grants will help livestock farmers in England to upgrade their slurry storage and nutrient management systems.