PM to unveil package of support for farmers at NFU conference
© NFU A package of grant support worth £427m is to be unveiled by the prime minister at NFU conference tomorrow (Tuesday 20 February), with funding for technology and productivity schemes up for grabs.
Around £220m will be on offer to help farmers access new equipment, including automation kit and rooftop solar. Support for processing, packing and retailing on farms will also be made available.
The government has suggested the additional cash for renewable energy will safeguard land for food production.
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Rules around permitted development rights are set to be relaxed too, so farmers can easily develop buildings and diversify earnings through farm shops, commercial spaces and sporting venues.
The prime minister is expected to say: “[Farmers] are at the forefront of innovation – from gene editing to boost resilience to disease, to automation to help harvest crops.
“And while thanks to you we enjoy good quality food all-year-round, global events – including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – have put food security back at the top of the agenda.
“We’ll never take our food security for granted. We’ve got a plan to support British farming – and we’re going further again today.”