New Farming Investment Fund launched today

[Janet Hughes Defra]

Imagine if farmers could submit collaborative claims to help bump them over the threshold…..we’re always being encouraged to work together.

You can - farmers can collaborate to buy equipment, but the lead applicant must be a farmer, grower or contractor - contact the RPA if you'd like to do this and want to know how [email protected]

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

@Janet Hughes Defra

Did you answer the question whether a low disturbance arable subsoiler is covered under low disturbance grassland subsoiler?

If not then why not?

Thank you

Sorry I think I missed this one - RPA are best placed to advise on technical specifications and eligibility - [email protected]

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

Is this yet another scheme where the small scale farmers are excluded ?.

No - we've changed the rules so (a) you don't have to be a BPS claimant and (b) the minimum grant has been reduced from £3k to £2k - if there are other things you'd like us to do to make the scheme accessible to small farmers, please let us know - we're keeping it under review for future rounds based on what we learn this time around, so I'm keen to hear feedback and suggestions

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

Can you not put several items together to count towards the minimum spend (assuming they were all sensible purchases of course)?

Yes, you can

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

Hi Janet. Any update on the strip till drill question from Tuesday?

I think lots of people would consider strip till an important transition to ”pure” direct drilling and I think excluding it from the grant scheme is a big mistake.

One Of the early versions of the SFI pilot advanced soil standards required 50% of high risk land to be direct drilled or strip till drilled. The grant scheme seems to be at odds with this thinking.

Hi - we're keeping all the items on the list under review, so we'll add this to the list of things to think about for next time - meanwhile if you want to check a specific item's technical specification or eligibility, please do contact RPA directly - [email protected]

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

Good evening Janet,
I am trying to understand what sort of 3m direct drill I could purchase . Would a simple box drill qualify? I'm thinking of a Kuhn Premia, would this be ok?

Hi please can I ask you to contact the RPA directly on this? They're best placed to answer technical questions about specifications and eligibility - [email protected]

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

@Janet Hughes Defra I am part of the SFI pilot.
I direct drill everything already.
One thing that would really be of help is funding for flotation tyres on grain trailers.
Will this be a possibility in future rounds, or different funding sources?

Thanks for the suggestion - we'll add it to the list of things to consider for future rounds

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

Hi Janet; was there an outcome for the above? (Availability of grant aid for grassland low disturbance subsoiler but not an arable one) thanks

Hi - if it meets the spec (basically the same) then it should be eligible, but do check directly with RPA who can advise [email protected]

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

Hi @Janet Hughes Defra

Is there a SLA timescale for response to email queries?

And likewise, when a application is submitted how long is the wait to find if it’s been approved?

I understand emails are being dealt with quickly at the moment -have you had a problem with yours?

We'll process applications as quickly as we can - it usually takes a few weeks but it depends a bit how many applications we receive and how complex they are

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

Hello @Janet Hughes Defra

I wanted to get some FieldBee autosteer GPS kit to retrofit on a tractor. The system comes from abroad. Is this a problem or do you have to buy kit from UK suppliers? Also. They have an offer on at the moment. Black Friday. If I order and pay the full amount now before knowing if I get the funding is this frowned upon? I see you say about paying a Refundable Deposit in the manual but you don't say you can't pay the whole amount. Looks like an excellent deal ATM.

Thank you

Hi - please can I refer you to the RPA on this one? [email protected]

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

Hi @Janet Hughes Defra would it be possible to answer the question above.

Hi yes have now done - no there's no cap between rounds

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

@Janet Hughes Defra would you be able to shed some light on the strip till/direct drill eligibility.
It reads to me like strip till is not eligible but some people are saying they have got them through previous rounds?

Hi -I'd recommend you ask RPA directly as they're best placed to advise on specific items / tech specs and eligibility - [email protected]

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

Morning all - I'm almost up to date with responses to your questions, I've noted a few that I had missed or that came in yesterday - I'll come back to these later today. Meanwhile please do contact RPA directly with any questions about technical specifications and eligibility and my colleagues there will be happy to help [email protected]

 

[Jerry]

I understand emails are being dealt with quickly at the moment -have you had a problem with yours?

We'll process applications as quickly as we can - it usually takes a few weeks but it depends a bit how many applications we receive and how complex they are

Thanks. No response yet to an equity sent by email. Email sent just over week ago. No auto reply received to acknowledge email But don’t know if that is part of the process?

 

[ERH Services Ltd]

Hello @Janet Hughes Defra

I wanted to get some FieldBee autosteer GPS kit to retrofit on a tractor. The system comes from abroad. Is this a problem or do you have to buy kit from UK suppliers? Also. They have an offer on at the moment. Black Friday. If I order and pay the full amount now before knowing if I get the funding is this frowned upon? I see you say about paying a Refundable Deposit in the manual but you don't say you can't pay the whole amount. Looks like an excellent deal ATM.

Thank you

Have you looked at the FJDynamics Autosteer system. I hold them in stock and have customers who would be happy to give an unbiased review of this Affordable RTK Autosteer system which can be retrofitted to any agricultural machine. Have a look at my YouTube channel for a few (novice) videos ERH Services https://youtube.com/channel/UCXdj2mLVyCcAm3-wUs1UesA
Or take a look at www.erhservices.co.uk
I’m happy to reply via WhatsApp also 07810860503
Thanks Elliot.

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

It appears to me that the fund available for grant are limited to very narrow band of machinery. Direct drill with tines but not strip till. What's the difference please? One could go for direct drill, with grant, then attach low disturbance subsoiler on the front which ends up as pretty much a strip till drill. Secondly, there are funds for equipment for VR ferts, particularly N VR where you could purchase an N sensor. Fairly old tech. Much of the new VR is satellite based which runs through other programmes, eg Soyl and others. Can this tech be grant aided? This seems to be the future of VR. Done 3 years of VR p and k and want to go VR liquid N. Both can be done with soyl type programmes. Apologies for not naming others available, I'm trying to point out there are ways of doing things without buying yet more hardware but other tech costs money too. As I see it, the funding is fairly limited.

Hi - thanks for this, we'll look at this issue and these suggestions for future rounds - we're keeping the list under active review and have a list of suggestions like yours which we'll review for next time.

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

@Janet Hughes Defra ...... Anything available for the maintenance of farm lanes ....
Asking for a friend ......well all my friends really they are all complaining about it .

Sorry no we don't offer that through this scheme. Have you looked at Countryside Stewardship and whether any of the options there might be useful?

 

[Janet Hughes Defra]

@Janet Hughes Defra This seems like a a very good cost saving exercise for yourselves. The uptake will be low, you can go to your head and tell them how much money your department has saved them while saying to the farmers well we did offer.

Also I don't get the message. On one hand 'lets all be greener' on the the other lets all buy/manufacture new items with no help to buy used/recycled items.

I can assure you that's not what we're doing, we think the scheme will be popular (as its predecessors were) and we've already received applications since opening the fund a week ago. On being greener - a lot of things that make you more efficient can also reduce your emissions (eg if you use precision technology and therefore less inorganic fertilizer). I do see your point about how useful it would be to include used items, we've not found a good and fair way to do that yet because it's difficult to set a price / assure quality and safety.

 

[willyorkshire]

Hi - thanks for this, we'll look at this issue and these suggestions for future rounds - we're keeping the list under active review and have a list of suggestions like yours which we'll review for next time.

Thanks for reply Janet.

 

[Steevo]

I can assure you that's not what we're doing, we think the scheme will be popular (as its predecessors were) and we've already received applications since opening the fund a week ago. On being greener - a lot of things that make you more efficient can also reduce your emissions (eg if you use precision technology and therefore less inorganic fertilizer). I do see your point about how useful it would be to include used items, we've not found a good and fair way to do that yet because it's difficult to set a price / assure quality and safety.

Thank you not only for answering all of the above questions (that was no small matter and you have shown serious commitment!), but also for showing us the human side of an organisation that clearly exists, but an approach that we as farmers have seen little in the way of historically.

Listening, engaging with farmers, trying to work with and understand our points of view and helping us understand your perspective too makes a real difference and is a breath of fresh air. This is the first I'm aware of for any government department.