Technology Grants can Help Solve Farming Challenges

The agricultural sector is facing some major challenges right now, from the rising cost of supplies and labour shortages, to sustainability, new legislation and consumer demands for greater transparency.

Rural businesses in 2022 need to find viable solutions to these challenges and the good news is that agricultural technology is developing quickly to help bridge the gap – and help is on hand.

The Farming Investment Fund, which comprises the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund and the Farming Transformation Fund, was launched in November 2021.

Applications for Round 1 of funding have already closed in some categories but there are likely to be further opportunities ahead.

Applications for the Improving Farming Productivity grant, for instance, opened in January 2022.

This will pay for capital items to improve farm and horticultural productivity through:

the use of robotic or autonomous equipment and systems to aid crop and livestock production the installation of slurry acidification equipment (to improve nutrient management and reduce ammonia emissions). 

The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund provides smaller grants of up to £12,000 to farmers to buy items from a list of equipment, technology and small infrastructure investments based on the current Countryside Productivity Small Grant Scheme.

The Farming Transformation Fund supports larger, more complicated technological investments such as precision agriculture equipment, robotics, or automation.

Some of the key technologies transforming the sector include:

Robotics

Also known as ‘smart farming,’ this includes technologies such as autonomous tractors, drones, watering and seeding robots, robotic harvesters, and machine vision systems. Laser-armed weed killing robots are already available. Resembling small driverless cars, they move across fields whilst scanning and targeting weeds.

Not only do these machines bring enormous efficiency and productivity benefits, but they also help protect the environment by reducing soil disturbance and allowing farmers to use less herbicides. One day, robotics and automation might allow farmers to manage their fields using apps, driving machinery and treating/irrigating crops remotely.

Livestock technology

Livestock-related rural businesses need to responsibly care for, track and manage their animals, as well as keep accurate records and supervise workers. One recent innovation is a ‘fit bit’ for cows, which provides accurate information about each animal’s fertility, health, nutritional status and location. Farmers can use the system to track movement, when they eat and are in season, as well as spot early indicators of illness. Compatible with phones, it has born the phrase ‘connected cows’.

Apps
There are hundreds of apps available that allow farmers to improve productivity and efficiency, including:

Agrivi (enables the planning, monitoring, and tracking of all farm activities)Totheshelf (links growers to traders and vice versa)Climate App (helps agricultural producers track soil temperatures)Farmeron (software for herd management)CropProtect (helps with pest, weed and disease management)Send For Help (a GPS tracking device helping farmers get medical help in an emergency)

New apps are continually being developed, so farmers are advised to conduct independent research before investing.

Drones
Drones fitted with cameras and infrared sensors can identify crops in need of pesticides and spot spray them remotely from the air, instead of spraying the whole field, minimising environmental pollution. They can detect areas of fields in need of fertiliser and avoid excess ‘spreading’, remotely monitoring livestock health and find lost animals.

Don’t forget to consider insurance
Developing agritech can help farmers overcome modern industry challenges, as well as reduce risk by preventing animal disease, mitigate poor yields in the field and reduce staff numbers. This could mean lower insurance premiums; however, farmers should ensure new equipment, tech and robotics are covered and that business continuity is protected.

There may also be an issue of aviation liability when using drones. Some insurance policies will exclude this automatically, so it is vital to seek expert broker advice. At A-Plan Rural we have a team of experienced rural insurance experts who can help.

For further information on grants available, visit guidance pages from the government’s Rural Pay Agency: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/farming-investment-fund