News in brief: The UK DEFRA has announced £10 million in grants for cattle farmers to modernise facilities and improve livestock conditions, productivity, and profitability. The funding is part of the Animal Health and Welfare Infrastructure Grant and expands the support available through the Farming Transformation Fund to include various building types for dairy calves and will be extended to other livestock sectors in the future.
The United Kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has announced £10 million worth of grants for cattle farmers in England.
The grants is aimed at introducing farmers to modern facilities to replace decrepit cattle sheds and coincides with the Animal Health and Welfare Infrastructure Grant (AHWIG) awarding farmers between £15,000 to £500,000.
According to a statement by DEFRA, the money will also help to improve conditions for livestock and boost productivity and profitability.
The UK Minister of State for Farming, Fisheries and Food, Mark Spencer, lauded the funding initiatives. He stated that the grants are helping farmers improve livestock conditions. The new funding expands the range of grants already on offer through the Farming Transformation Fund, which currently includes support for improvements to slurry, water management and productivity.
Farmers can now choose develop a variety of building types, including A-frame buildings to house dairy calves from birth to weaning. DEFRA says it will be extending the infrastructure grant to other livestock sectors, as funding is yet to be available for pig and poultry farmers.
Furthermore, it mentions that it has awarded over £19 million to more than 3,000 farmers eligible for the Animal Health and Welfare Equipment and Technology Grant.
Grants of between £1,000 and £25,000 are now open to pig, poultry, sheep and cattle farmers who successfully applied to the first round of the grant. It is targeted at helping farmers with items from livestock handling, sealed water tanks, to automated monitoring system and sensors.
