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Today, October 20, applications for a new long-term funding initiative have opened up to help farmers, growers, foresters, and other enterprises adopt creative approaches to increase productivity and promote sustainability. One of the new initiatives outlined in the Government’s Agricultural Transition Plan, the Farming Innovation Programme, will support ambitious initiatives to transform productivity and improve environmental sustainability in England’s agricultural and horticultural sectors while moving the sectors toward net zero.
Today, Defra makes £17.5 million available for the first round of the three grants that make up the Programme in collaboration with UK Research & Innovation (UKRI). The first fund to be launched is the “Industry-led R&D Partnerships Fund,” where farmers, growers, loggers, and businesses can submit funding requests for the creation of new technologies and practices that will aid them in overcoming obstacles and seizing opportunities in the industry, such as the use of artificial intelligence and low-emission machinery to optimize the production process and the creation of climate-resilient crops.
Early in the next year, Defra will introduce the “Farming Futures R&D Fund,” which will support strategic initiatives to combat climate change by minimizing the environmental impact of agriculture. The Projects to Accelerate Adoption Fund, a third fund, will debut in late 2022 to provide funding for farmer-led initiatives that examine the viability of fresh ideas on farms.
Joe Churchill, the secretary of state, said:
To overcome the issues facing horticulture and agriculture, innovation is crucial. For farmers, breeders, and enterprises to become more productive, new concepts, technology, and methods are essential.
Programs for agricultural innovation will make the industry more resilient and environmentally sustainable, aiding in the achievement of the net-zero goal. We urge all qualified businesses and people to submit an application. The recent Farming Innovation Pathways competition is now part of the Defra and UKRI relationship under the Farming Innovation Program. When it first opened earlier this year, the competition experienced significant demand from the industry, drawing a large number of excellent entries on innovation in horticulture and agriculture.