Cherilyn Mackrory MP for Truro and Falmouth welcomes news of £108,760 which has been awarded to farmers in her constituency. This figure represents the first instalment of the Animal Health and Welfare Equipment and Technology grant announced by the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in July 2023. Nationally, the grant is worth £19 million, and represents part of the Government’s Farming Investment Fund. The money has been awarded to successful applicant farmers who specialise in raising pigs, sheep, poultry, and cattle.
Each grant is worth between £1,000 and £25,000 and is intended to help farmers to invest in items ranging from livestock handling equipment to reduce lameness in sheep and cattle, to automated monitoring systems which free-up farmers’ time and limit environmental stress in poultry housing.
The Farming Investment Fund represents the wider commitment by the UK Government to supporting farmers and farming traditions into the future. This is further represented by the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, which supports farmers to transition to higher welfare practices and systems, whilst improving animal health, boosting productivity, and encouraging sustainable food production.
Cherilyn says:
“Our farmers are central to our community, and without them Truro and Falmouth would not be the place it is today. I am pleased that the Government is standing up for farmers to support them with new technology and ways to make their lives better and to keep producing Great British food right here in the community.”
The Rt Hon. Mark Spencer MP, Minister of State (Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries), says:
“In 2023, the Government is making more than £168 million in grants available to farmers to drive innovation, support food production, improve animal health and welfare and protect the environment.
“Through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, we plan to offer further rounds of equipment and technology grants, as well as larger grants for bespoke infrastructure projects. These were announced in July this year and will fund improvements in calf housing.
“Alongside our new flexible and accessible farming schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive, these grants will ensure that farmers remain at the heart of the rural economy, putting top quality British food on our tables.”