CUMBRIAN farmers are being invited to apply for a share of the £25 million in grant money aimed at helping them to boost productivity.

Under the third and final round of the Government's Countryside Productivity Small Grants (CPSG) scheme, farmers can apply for grants of between £3,000 and £12,000 to buy new and innovative equipment – from livestock monitoring cameras to precision farming technology – which helps businesses save time and money and improve productivity.

Last year, new items were added to the list of the equipment available that will help farmers to benefit the environment, such as equipment designed to help minimise soil compaction in fields, monitor ammonia levels in farm buildings, and increase machinery precision when applying slurry.

Farmers who have been successful in applying for grants in previous rounds of the scheme will also be able to apply for different pieces of equipment within this final round up to the scheme’s limit of £12,000 per farmer, meaning that they can streamline other elements of their business or start the move towards farming more sustainably.

Farming Minister Victoria Prentis said: "Coming from a farming family, I have experienced first-hand the benefits that having innovative equipment can bring, including saving businesses time and money while improving yields and minimising the impact we have on the environment around us."

Rural Payments Agency Chief Executive Paul Caldwell said: "Having access to game-changing innovative technology can make a real difference to farmers. and help boost productivity."

Farmers will have until midday on November 4 to make an application to the Rural Payments Agency.

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