Capital grants - Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2024

[poorsheepfarmer]

Loads of sheep handling kit on there

 

[CiderJan]

An FOI request as to their costings would interesting to see. What I don't understand is that if they have now capped expenditure at max 50%, then why do they need to be so conservative with their predicted cost of kit?

Some items on there are really bizarre, such as calf coats for £11 grant. Who would ever bother to claim? Also cameras are on twice, once for livestock at £152 and again for farmyard at £145. Slightly different specs and different point scoring. Pure job creation and unnecessary bureaucracy.

 

[Drillman]

I was looking at the Kuhn Megant, at the RFS Show and Kuhn rep said it qualified for the grant?

Is it possible to check with RPA before purchasing; whether or not it qualifies??

Dunno but it something I will have to investigate

 

[Dougalhtid]

I wandered ,and hoped,that that was one

Got to be

 

[Hindsight]

I was looking at the Kuhn Megant, at the RFS Show and Kuhn rep said it qualified for the grant?

Is it possible to check with RPA before purchasing; whether or not it qualifies??

Grant was paid on at least one Megant laast year as I saw it earlier this week. Farm was initially denied and then subsequently RPA contacted the farm to say was acceptable. Contact the relevant RPA department for guidance. I was slightly surprised as the particular model didn't have rigid legs and the frame wasn't braced. But I gather there is a beefed up version too.

 

[Ted M]

Looking at the 3 metre direct drill option here. (Erth, Moore type)
Mainly for grass and cover crop and a few acres of cereals if conditions are right.
Was going along the lines of a twin hopper version but realistically probably won't do much if any with fert so now wondering if I'd be better going for a single hopper drill and and an air seeder as a separate item which could be popped on the back of the power harrow as well for conventional reseeding work.

 

[Tealo]

Grants seem to work for everyone else, not the farmer. Prices seem to get inflated on any items with a grant on them. Small farms can't find the other half generally. Is there any grants for buying second hand items?

 

[snipe]

Much cheaper and aren’t stuck in one yard. We have them and they are brilliant, extremely accurate.

It says it must be able to weigh the gross weight, is this possible?

 

[Barleymow]

I’ve a bit of a dilemma as wanting a tine drill but not 100% sure one will do what I want.

I’ve priced some new machines up KV TS and Kuhn Megant which aren’t grant qualifying and also the KRM and Dale that are.

taking grant funding into account the KV is the most expensive but for what I want to do it’s the best of the bunch.

the cheapest would be the KRM assuming I get the full grant on it. but I’m not sure it will do the job I’m wanting as well as the KV. But it is over £10k cheaper!

or do I go out and buy a used tine drill which would be 1/2 of the new grant funded KRM price knowing if it don’t work I can get out dead easy and sell it again?

for now I decided to keep going with the ageing combi as that’s bought and paid for.

just bought a second hand 6m weaving tine drill for my 150 acres, was cheaper than 4 m ones .two days should should see me drilled up .

 

[neilo]

Hand up im in that boat, grant would help but if iv got to buy new its 99 percent of the time on finance, so im better off forgoing the grant and buying affordable second hand. These big grants just dont work for the small guy.

Is it not possible to finance through a loan, rather than HP? That way you are still making the capital payment for the item.

I know that was certainly the case on the similar Welsh scheme.

 

[ploughman1963]

Yes, bank loan is acceptable as you own the items from day one - lease is not because you don’t actually own the item until paid for.

 

[Billboy1]

direct drill for flowers would take the pee surely ?

 

[snipe]

direct drill for flowers would take the pee surely ?

I think that is what the whole scheme is aimed at, cover crops and environmental benefits.

 

[Bignor Farmer]

Loads of sheep handling kit on there

Perhaps I’m looking in the wrong place then? I can’t see any?

This is the livestock section;

Livestock​

FETF103 - Robotic silage pusher​

Expected average cost of item (£): 17,000
Percentage paid towards item: 50%
Grant amount (based on a quantity of 1) (£): 8,500
Score: 60

Item must:

• be a robotic silage pusher
• be programmable to use on different types of feed passage
• detect the distance from the feed barrier and adjust position automatically
• detect the amount of feed in the passage

You must provide this item’s serial number when you submit your claim for payment.

FETF112 - Grassland sward lifters​

Expected average cost of item (£): 4,500
Percentage paid towards item: 50%
Grant amount (based on a quantity of 1) (£): 2,250
Score: 54

Item must:

• be a grassland sward lifter
• have 3 minimum legs
• have adjustable depth control to a minimum 300mm
• have a cutting disc in front of each leg that cuts to a minimum 50mm depth
• have a packing roller behind each leg
• have a shear bolt or mechanical reset on each leg

You must provide this item’s serial number when you submit your claim for payment.

FETF24 - Hydraulic ram pumps (water)​

Expected average cost of item (£): 4,368
Percentage paid towards item: 60%
Grant amount (based on a quantity of 1) (£): 2,620.80
Score: 53

Item must:

• be a hydraulic ram pump
• use hydraulic pressure to raise clean water - systems using electric pumps are not eligible
• have a 20L per minute flow at a 3m head
• have a lift of minimum 10m
• have a ram pump
• have a sediment chamber
• have a pump chamber
• have a drive pipe
• have a return pipe
• have a header tank with minimum 5000L capacity
• include minimum 300m of distribution pipe

FETF411 - Grassland pasture aerator​

Expected average cost of item (£): 3,498
Percentage paid towards item: 50%
Grant amount (based on a quantity of 1) (£): 1,749
Score: 54

This item is new for 2024. Item must:

• be a grassland pasture aerator
• have a 2.3m minimum working width
• have a roller or cylinder design with hardened steel blades to create aeration slots
• create aeration slots minimum 160mm deep
• have capacity to carry additional weight to provide better blade penetration in dry conditions

You must provide this item’s serial number when you submit your claim for payment.

FETF412 - Mobile tractor powered livestock total feed ration mixer​

Expected average cost of item (£): 16,180
Percentage paid towards item: 50%
Grant amount (based on a quantity of 1) (£): 8,090
Score: 57

This item is new for 2024. Item must:

• be a mobile tractor powered livestock total feed ration mixer
• mix and chop any feed including straw, baled silage, and roots
• provide a total mixed ration
• have a maximum mixing capacity of 3,000L
• operate on an 100hp tractor
• have a weighing system with onboard weatherproof display
• be controlled from the tractor cab

You must provide this item’s serial number when you submit your claim for payment.

FETF413 - Solar powered water pump​

Expected average cost of item (£): 5,000
Percentage paid towards item: 60%
Grant amount (based on a quantity of 1) (£): 3,000
Score: 58

This item is new for 2024. Item must:

• be a solar powered water pump
• be a self-contained system in a lockable steel box
• have a self-priming water pump capable of pumping at least 3,500L per day to a height of 30m at 30PSI or greater - items that can pump over 10m³ per day are not eligible
• have a solar panel, inverter and battery
• include 5m of inlet pipe with filter
• have automatic shut off for the pump when water flow is not required

FETF414 - Bracken roller​

Expected average cost of item (£): 1,449
Percentage paid towards item: 60%
Grant amount (based on a quantity of 1) (£): 869.40
Score: 58

This item is new for 2024. Item must:

• be a bracken roller
• have a minimum 1.5m working width
• have a roller or cylinder design with an uneven or ridged surface for bashing and bruising bracken
• be able to be towed by an ATV or tractor

You must provide this item’s serial number when you submit your claim for payment.

FETF48 - Real time inline forage crop analyser​

Expected average cost of item (£): 17,000
Percentage paid towards item: 60%
Grant amount (based on a quantity of 1) (£): 10,200
Score: 63

Item must:

• be real-time inline forage crop analyser
• use near infra-red (NIR) spectroscopy to analyse forage crops in real time
• analyse and record the level of dry matter, crude protein, starch, crude fibre, sugar, and crude ash during harvest
• have ISOBUS connection or be supplied with in-cab display
• automatically control silage additive application rates through analysis of dry matter content
• use GPS to provide accurate yields for each field harvested
• be able to be retrofitted to existing forage harvesting equipment

You cannot claim for this item and item FETF220P - Real-time in line grain analyser as one item, you must buy separate NIR spectroscopy units for each item.

You must provide this item’s serial number when you submit your claim for payment.

FETF52 - Pasture plate meter (handheld)​

Expected average cost of item (£): 580
Percentage paid towards item: 50%
Grant amount (based on a quantity of 1) (£): 290
Score: 51

Item must:

• be a pasture plate meter (handheld)
• be a handheld device
• assess grass cover by measuring total height and the number of measurements taken
• electronically store measurements from separate paddocks
• download the data collected to a computer or mobile device

Plate meters that are not able to store data electronically for later electronic transfer are not eligible.

You can only apply for 2 handheld pasture plate meters per application.

You must provide this item’s serial number when you submit your claim for payment.

FETF84 - Chemical free disinfection system for dairy farms​

Expected average cost of item (£): 30,000
Percentage paid towards item: 50%
Grant amount (based on a quantity of 1) (£): 15,000
Score: 58

Item must:

• be a chemical free disinfection system for dairy farm
• be a low voltage electrical ozone-based disinfection system
• have a tank with a minimum 250L capacity

You must provide this item’s serial number when you submit your claim for payment.

FETF92 - Real time milk analysis​

Expected average cost of item (£): 1,400
Percentage paid towards item: 50%
Grant amount (based on a quantity of 1) (£): 700
Score: 56

Item must:

• be real time milk analysis (analyser)
• produce data in real time on individual cows
• produce data on conductivity
• produce data on milk constituents (including lactose and protein levels)

Cost is per milking point.

Items which only measure milk volume and milking time are not eligible.

 

[Bullring]

@Bignor Farmer Try here

Animal health and welfare items and specifications – Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2024

www.gov.uk

 

[Salopian_Will]

Always pee me if these grants as they’re about 5 years too late!

VR seed drill? Done it
VR fert spreader? Done it
Auto steering motor? Done it, twice!
Yield mapping? Done it
Drain jetter would be handy? Oh, hang on, bought one last year ffs .

I give up .

I agree on all those fronts, including the jetter! Add to that a direct drill, straw rake, boom height adjustment etc. It is very frustrating.

 

[Renaultman]

It says it must be able to weigh the gross weight, is this possible?

Depends how fussy they are, you could have a weighloader registered for sales with a printer and everything, this is over 20 years ago so I would be surprised if you can't now
On a standard one you can program it to give you your net weight or gross, I always set .one to nett.

 

[benny6910]

It says it must be able to weigh the gross weight, is this possible?

Would you be able to get the grant if you order a new trailer with it fitted from new?

 

[snipe]

I thought gross weight was trailer weight plus load. Even if you had weigh cells on the axles, it would not weigh the axles and wheel.

 

[Bignor Farmer]

@Bignor Farmer Try here

Animal health and welfare items and specifications – Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2024

www.gov.uk

Thank you