Farmers can get grant of up to £10,000 (From Romsey Advertiser)
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Farmers in the Basingstoke area are being encourage to apply for up to £10,000 from the Catchment Sensitive Farming Grant Scheme
9:29am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in Hampshire Business By Richard Garfield
Chris D'Olley from Carter Jonas
GRANTS of up to £10,000 are available to farmers for carrying out practical works that will boost the health of Hampshire’s streams and rivers.
The Catchment Sensitive Farming Grant Scheme aims to improve water quality and reduce pollution from agricultural activity.
Farmers have until Tuesday, April 30 to submit their applications.
Chris D’Olley, a rural land use expert at Carter Jonas, based in Basingstoke, said Hampshire farmers can apply for a share of the limited funding through Natural England.
He said farmers within specific target areas, who include high priority capital items in their applications, are most likely to gain access to the Government cash.
Individual farmers can claim up to £10,000 from a national pot of £15.5million, with more than 40 project types eligible, including installing water troughs, managing pesticides to reduce groundwater impacts, roofs for manure and silage stores, and works to keep livestock away from streams.
Chris said: “Farmers who have not had grants before, or who have received less than £2,000 in total during previous years, will get more opportunity this time, along with those already actively making a contribution to the environment through participation in an agri-environment scheme.
“In addition to target area and capital item priorities, consideration will also be given to holdings or applicants with a current agreement under an environmental scheme such as Countryside Stewardship (CSF) or higher level Environmental Stewardship, or who have engaged with the CSF initiative in the last two years, for instance by attending a CSF event or workshop.
“Farmers who in the past have queried the value of engaging in such schemes will now see that there is potential for a payback.”
Details of the scheme funding can be found at naturalengland.org.uk.
