Direct Drill & Grants

[B&L Equine Services]

Hi

My uncle has asked me about A) is there a grant for such drills still or we missed the deadline. B) the drills are intended for direct into stubble but what if didn’t do that and drilled into worked land could it still be bought using grant and if so any ways they would check to see if doing it correct if has to be straight into stubble.

 

[Clive]

i’m told there is a more clear definition of “direct drill” coming form DEFRA to avoid confusion / conjecture

 

[Adeptandy]

i’m told there is a more clear definition of “direct drill” coming form DEFRA to avoid confusion / conjecture

Considering the change of Government and the scare stories of taxation I’d be suprised if these grants happen again. The 2nd wave this year appears to have vanished

 

[Clive]

Considering the change of Government and the scare stories of taxation I’d be suprised if these grants happen again. The 2nd wave this year appears to have vanished

certainly seems a lot quieter since the election

 

[Nearly]

There's no F in money.

 

[Clive]

There's no F in money.

they had so much spare they had to give it back ………… more accurately

 

[TomD]

The grants will be released after the budget as a diversion tactic

 

[Adeptandy]

See Wardy last night was using his FEFT sabre in a very brown field

 

[Tompkins]

See Wardy last night was using his FEFT sabre in a very brown field

Doesn't give a great impression does it, but he's obviously not the only one...

 

[Brisel]

Hi

My uncle has asked me about A) is there a grant for such drills still or we missed the deadline. B) the drills are intended for direct into stubble but what if didn’t do that and drilled into worked land could it still be bought using grant and if so any ways they would check to see if doing it correct if has to be straight into stubble.

There was the FETF grant scheme, yes. Closed for 2024. We will have to see if the DEFRA budget allows next year's to go ahead but most of us suspect not.

Apply for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2024 (closed)

www.gov.uk

Can you use a grant aided direct drill in cultivated land? Yes. You might want to take a photo of it working in at least 1 field directly for the RPA, should they ask! I do a mixture of both. Some stubbles get scratched or low disturbance subsoiled to take wheelings out but mostly it's DD for the FETF Mzuri I got a grant for. Go at any kind of speed & the field looks distinctly brown afterwards!

 

[B&L Equine Services]

There was the FETF grant scheme, yes. Closed for 2024. We will have to see if the DEFRA budget allows next year's to go ahead but most of us suspect not.

Apply for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2024 (closed)

www.gov.uk

Can you use a grant aided direct drill in cultivated land? Yes. You might want to take a photo of it working in at least 1 field directly for the RPA, should they ask! I do a mixture of both. Some stubbles get scratched or low disturbance subsoiled to take wheelings out but mostly it's DD for the FETF Mzuri I got a grant for. Go at any kind of speed & the field looks distinctly brown afterwards!

Thanks. Will tell my uncle. He just doesn’t want get told off if not used straight into stubble.

 

[Weaving]

Thanks. Will tell my uncle. He just doesn’t want get told off if not used straight into stubble.

I think as long as you can present a reasonable case to the RPA if you did get inspected, you will be fine. Many farmers might have bought a direct drill on this round of FETF, but they have not yet established a robust DD system, but if you can demonstrate progression towards that - i.e. some fields being direct drilled, or reducing the extent of cultivating ahead of the drill, then its a reasonable step forward. Be aware you can be liable for inspection for up to 5 years post purchase.

In terms of future rounds, I put an email into the RPA about 6 weeks ago, they replied saying that they hoped to release details of the next round of grants before the end of the year, with hope that applications might open early in the New Year. At the moment, I am not aware that the FETF eligible items are the same or not.

I will email everyone on the Weaving mailing list when I hear any news.

The grants are both a gift and a curse for manufacturing, because the way the current grants are time limited creates massive peaks and troughs in production which plays a bit of havoc on labour provision and raw material supply. All of the manufacturers have tried to communicate this issue to the RPA, but little has changed.

 

[Brisel]

With the current freeze on previously approved capital grants under CS, it does not look good for the FETF scheme for next year at all. As always, there is little that is logical about government funding, so you never know, but I would not recommend ordering any previously eligible direct drills just yet if you want the grant.

 

[Weaving]

With the current freeze on previously approved capital grants under CS, it does not look good for the FETF scheme for next year at all. As always, there is little that is logical about government funding, so you never know, but I would not recommend ordering any previously eligible direct drills just yet if you want the grant.

Agree with you. For our customers we are happy to take provisional orders subject to grant. So if the grants are not released, or your application fails there is no commitment. It just gives us an idea of demand so we can start production with at least some information, and for those customers they can be first in the queue.

 

[Brisel]

Agree with you. For our customers we are happy to take provisional orders subject to grant. So if the grants are not released, or your application fails there is no commitment. It just gives us an idea of demand so we can start production with at least some information, and for those customers they can be first in the queue.

Uncertainty must be troubling for you! After another wet non DD friendly autumn and the Treasury's current money grabbing antics, I'll bet your order book doesn't look like it did 12 months ago. Any spare cash on family farms is currently being spent on tax planning, not new kit.

 

[Flat 10]

I recommend reading the defra guidance yourself. Contrary to popular belief its not particularly difficult to understand or that lengthy (if you just read the relevant bit). Be aware that the DD drill may well not work as well in a tillage situation as a drill specifically designed for that situation. There is another poster on here who recently bought a DD drill seemingly just because there was a grant and is not particularly happy with its performance in either situation......