17th June 2022

Roger Parry & Partners have welcomed news of new slurry storage grants which will be launched later this year as part of the Farming Investment Fund.

Every year, farms in England generate and use millions of tonnes of livestock slurry. Slurry contains lots of nutrients and material that can benefit soil health and support crop growth. It can, though, create significant pollution to our environment. Though some farmers have plans, equipment and infrastructure in place to manage the nutrients in their slurry and manure well, others face significant financial barriers to having sufficient slurry storage. This is an area that has not been effectively regulated in the past. As part of the agricultural transition, the government want this to change.

A new grant has been designed, alongside a number of other measures, to help livestock farmers make use of their manure and organic nutrients. This will be backed up by better advice and fair, effective regulation of the rules over the agricultural transition period. The government is also increasing the scope of the Catchment Sensitive Farming service so that it is available across England. It is also reviewing all the guidance on GOV.UK so it is as clear as possible and looking into the potential of more nutrient sharing between farms.

Richard Corbett, Partner with Roger Parry & Partners said, “From the information we have seen, the grant reflects the unique nature of investing in slurry storage infrastructure and has been designed by government with farmers, industry and environmental experts. The grant will help livestock farmers already using a slurry system to upgrade their slurry storage to reach six months storage capacity and to cover grant funded stores with impermeable covers.”

All pig, dairy and beef farmers already using a slurry system can apply for this new grant which can be used to:

• Replace existing stores that are no longer fit for purpose
• Build additional storage, if your current stores are compliant 
• Expand otherwise compliant storage, for example by adding another ring to a steel tank

Farmers can choose from multiple store types and find one to suit the needs of their farm, including slurry lagoons, steel and concrete ring tanks and rectangular concrete stores. The grant must be used to reach at least six months storage capacity, based on the farm’s current herd, and the stores must meet regulatory and build standards.

As with other themes in the Farming Investment Fund, farmers can apply through a two-stage process, starting with an online eligibility checker (opening in the autumn) followed by a full application (over the winter).

Richard added, “Demand is expected to be high for this grant so applications will be prioritised for those who have higher environmental benefit. There will be multiple opportunities to apply for a grant so if you aren’t successful this year, we would encourage farmers to apply again in future rounds which are expected to run over the next few years. Farmers can start preparing for the grant now by planning your slurry storage capacity and thinking about what sort of store you might build.” 

Roger Parry & Partners’ surveyors and architectural technologists can assist in slurry storage plans as farmers will need to choose where on the farm is best to build and checks made in case planning permission is required. For expert advice and assistance for any planning project contact your nearest office or visit the website for further information: www.rogerparry.net