Grant Advice

Second Round of Water Management Grant Opens On 19 April 2023, the second round of the Water Management Grant opened. This grant supports arable and horticultural businesses in England that grow, or plan to grow, irrigated food crops, ornamentals, or forestry nurseries. Funding Details The grant can cover up to 40% of eligible project costs. […]

Welcome to the Ceres Rural Farming Update 2023, a publication that provides independent insights on agricultural issues, from policy and grant funding, to administrative updates and key market information. Read the update here: Farming Update – April 2023. For a printable version, click here. Please consider the environment before printing this publication.

Published on 26th January, Defra announced the roll out of six new standards under the Sustainable Farming Incentive with the three-year agreements aimed at promoting biodiversity, air quality, climate change adaptation and water quality. The new standards include: Nutrient Management Standard Integrated Pest Management Standard Hedgerow Standard Arable & Horticultural Land Standard Improved Grassland Standard […]

Announced on 5th January at the Oxford Farming Conference by Defra farming minister Mark Spencer, payments for the Countryside Stewardship and SFI have been revised to encourage uptake of environmental schemes and to reflect agricultural markets and scheme costs. Countryside Stewardship Payment Rates Payment rates for both Countryside Stewardship revenue options and capital items will […]

A CORNERSTONE FOR A RESILIENT AND SECURE FOOD SYSTEM Joint Statement As leading businesses, financial institutions, farmers, landowners, academic researchers, and civil society organisations, we are united in support of the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, as the foundation of supporting English farm businesses through a sustainable and just agricultural transition. Farmers and land managers […]

Welcome to the Ceres Rural Farming Update, a publication that provides independent insights on agricultural issues, from policy and grant funding, to administrative updates and key market information. Read the update here: Farming Update – November 2022. For a printable version, click here. Please consider the environment before printing this publication.

Defra Launches £110 Million Rural England Prosperity Fund Defra has launched a new £110 million fund to replace both LEADER Funding and the Growth Programme. Importantly, the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF or ‘Rural Fund’) aims to create jobs in rural areas, boost the rural economy, and help farmers diversify. As a result, this scheme […]

Adding value is the final theme of the Farming Transformation Fund to be launched which is designed to add value to agricultural products after they have been harvested or reared. This is a £30 million fund offering grants from £25,000 to £300,000 for up to 40% of total project costs. The minimum total project cost […]

Understanding the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): What You Need to Know The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) continues to release more details about the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), a key part of the Agricultural Transition Plan. This scheme is designed to help farmers improve soil health, boost biodiversity, and build long-term resilience while supporting profitable farming. […]