Farming News - DEFRA: £13m to turn farming’s best ideas into real-world solutions
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DEFRA: £13m to turn farming’s best ideas into real-world solutions
£13m to turn cutting-edge research into real-world, farming solutions
*Funding will help turn cutting-edge research into practical tools for farmers, from vaccines that protect pigs from disease to technology that tackles pests and boosts crop yields
*Keeping the government's commitment on track to invest at least £200m in agricultural innovation by 2030
A £13 million investment will help bring new technology from the lab to the farm, giving farmers practical tools to tackle some of the challenges they face every day.
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle today (Tuesday 1 September) announced the opening of the latest Farming Innovation Programme competition, backed by £13 million to help promising agricultural innovations to move closer to market.
Delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, the competition will provide a small number of high potential projects with grants of £1-3 million to help researchers, farmers and agri-tech businesses develop new products and services to improve productivity, resilience and sustainability on farms.
Projects funded through previous rounds include everything from robots picking tomatoes and using hoverflies as natural pest control in berry crops to a new vaccine being developed to protect pigs against Streptococcus suis, a common bacterial infection. The vaccine aims to prevent disease, improving animal health and welfare while reducing the need for antibiotics and supporting more sustainable pig production.
Together, these innovations show how agri-tech funding can turn cutting-edge research into practical solutions to challenges faced by farmers, from labour shortages and animal health to crop protection and sustainability.
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said:
"This funding will take brilliant ideas off the drawing board and put them to the test on farms, turning cutting-edge research into practical solutions that farmers can use.
"As set out in the Farming Roadmap, we're backing the people turning ideas into action, helping farmers boost productivity, build resilience and meet the challenges of tomorrow."
Chris Danks, Head of Agrifood at Innovate UK said:
"Innovation is critical to supporting a productive, resilient and competitive farming sector.
"By bringing together farmers, researchers and agri-tech businesses, this competition will help turn cutting-edge ideas into practical solutions that address the challenges facing agriculture today.
"Working in partnership with Defra, Innovate UK is supporting the development and commercialisation of innovations that can drive growth, improve sustainability and strengthen UK food production for the future."
This latest round is part of the wider Farming Innovation Programme, with £123 million being invested in agricultural innovation this year following a £53 million boost announced in June.
The funding supports the government's commitment, set out in the Modern Industrial Strategy, to invest at least £200 million in agricultural innovation by 2030, backing rural growth, productivity and food security.
Ahead of Back British Farming Day on Wednesday 9 September, the government continues to invest in homegrown agricultural innovation to solve real-world problems faced by farmers.
Today's announcement comes as applications open for the £30 million Farmer Collaboration Fund, helping farmers and land managers work together to cut costs, share knowledge and build resilience.