Should the purchase of a new direct drill be grant funded?

[Clive]

Farming in general should be aiming to move away form subs and grant not ask for new ones

I bought all my GPS kit without grant despite being eligible for it, I don't feel its fundamentally right to have the tools of your trade bought for you

SFP / BPS i wish I didn't have to take either but as it holds rents artificially high there is little choice there unfortunately

 

[Captain Mainwaring]

Fund it! Grants are currently offered for all manner of things from gps kit to mobile sheep handling. In water catchment areas they're offered to help reduce the potential pollution from farms into waterways. Surely the wider use of DD and resulting improvement to soil structure etc. in these areas, actually in all areas, would serve to help reduce erosion and run-off from arable land?
As far as I know the use of cover cropping will be funded, the benefits of which are widely recognised and discussed here. One thing that's apparent from many discussions on here is the need for the right kind of drill to cope with these covers, reduce levels of cultivation and help reduce costs to provide a more sustainable future for land and those that farm it. One barrier to those wishing to make the change to DD is the cost of a drill, which for those that wish to make the changeover progressively, may need to run alongside more tradional kit for a while.
Certainly there is the opportunity for people to take advantage of any grant for the financial incentive alone but frankly if your wedded to your plough and combi drill then direct drilling is something that may incite little interest anyway.

 

[JD-Kid]

ummm fund it only if you forse it IE all no till
as much as i hate handouts the ozzies had it right with people up gradeing to EID so some help buying new scales softwear readers etc etc even then it may have only been a grand for a full set up
auto drafter eid etc etc maybe 10 000 pound
50% no way 5-10 % even then thats a tad high there are better things to invest in
longer shelf life of products lowering waste
less sprays by better plant geans
higher feed values in straws and grains
more funding for coal face type projects to improve returns with info given free to farmers same with end use of products informing public on how to use things better
end of the day the whole supply chain has to work with all being able to aford to eather grow the products or buy them as end users

 

[Foxcover]

Isn't it your moral duty to protect your greatest asset?

 

[Gregory Mac]

Last financial year the Australian Government offered 15% rebate to anybody purchasing a No-till drill, the offer has now ended.
The drill pictured in my avatar complied.

 

[newhollandcruzr]

Great idea everybody will get one = yields down price up !!

 

[E_B]

Last financial year the Australian Government offered 15% rebate to anybody purchasing a No-till drill, the offer has now ended.
The drill pictured in my avatar complied.

Well done to your government for having such foresight, and to yourself on capitalising on such an opportunity. Will probably happen here one day.

 

[Steevo]

Well done to your government for having such foresight, and to yourself on capitalising on such an opportunity. Will probably happen here one day.

Do I take it you are in the market for a new drill or fancy moving to DD but don't think you can justify the cost?

 

[adam_farming]

Another thought:
The CAP as a whole is also aiming towards rural development, part of which is supporting jobs in rural areas. By encouraging farmers to go direct drilling, will they need fewer full time tractor drivers, thereby increasing rural unemployment?

By the way I think direct drilling a is a great idea, just thought of this from another angle

 

[SilliamWhale]

Another thought:
The CAP as a whole is also aiming towards rural development, part of which is supporting jobs in rural areas. By encouraging farmers to go direct drilling, will they need fewer full time tractor drivers, thereby increasing rural unemployment?

By the way I think direct drilling a is a great idea, just thought of this from another angle

Maybe put a HP limit on tractors and so smaller drills must be used!

 

[adam_farming]

Maybe put a HP limit on tractors and so smaller drills must be used!

But then you've got to compensate the farmer because he has to put a smaller trailer on the tractor at harvest, so can't get all the milling wheat in dry, it's a slippery slope!

IMO I agree with the comments that if you have to subsidise someone to do or change something, they're probably not doing it right, or for the right reasons

 

[neilo]

Really bad idea. The system only works if you want it too. Why do farmers always want a sub for everything and especially for something that is going to improve their yields and cut their costs! What about people who have done it for years and passed on free info enabling others to easily adopt the system, why should they be left out?

If promoting DD became government policy, you could jump on the ensuing consultancy bandwagon.

 

[SilliamWhale]

But then you've got to compensate the farmer because he has to put a smaller trailer on the tractor at harvest, so can't get all the milling wheat in dry, it's a slippery slope!

IMO I agree with the comments that if you have to subsidise someone to do or change something, they're probably not doing it right, or for the right reasons

He'll be alright he's got more labour.

 

[James W]

with homelessness and NHS problems i am sickened to think of farmers being given £40,000 towards a 750a. There are pensioners who cant afford to keep warm... its disgusting to give us farmers that sort of money for a German drill. i have yesterday asked for quotes to change our fleet of tractors to NH or JCB. If we farmers cant support the people that support us , then we need shooting. brexit is happening buy British.

 

[Will Blackburn]

They're US

 

[James W]

What do you mean ?

 

[Hampton]

Richard Bower from Penkridge wrote in the current Farmer that he received a Leader grant for his new strip till drill and a forestry grant for his GPS, so it appears you can already get the grants if you are open minded/the NFU golden boy

 

[James W]

really ? fair enough, makes me feel very uncomfortable, i wont be asking for grant on my new drill.

 

[Colin]

Money would be better spent on training and education

 

[James W]

They're US

i thought they were US but made in Germany ?