The Scottish Government has now published details of a pilot grant scheme called the Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme (SACGS) to provide grant funding for farmers and crofters to purchase specific items of agricultural equipment.
The main objectives/expected outcomes of the scheme are:
- protecting and improving the natural environment;
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farming operations;
- supporting sustainable farming; and
- supporting sustainable land use.
All Scottish farmers and crofters with a Business Reference Number (BRN) can apply.
The maximum amount a single farm business can receive is £20,000 with grant awards based on 60% of standard cost. Priority will be given to farmers and crofters who completed a carbon audit and/or a nutrient management plan, and/or a vet herd health plan between 01 March 2017 and 01 March 2020.
A link to the online guidance can be found here.
Below is a list of capital items supported under the scheme:
Cattle Equipment
- Squeeze crush (manually operated)
- Head scoop (cattle)
- Specialist foot trimming crush
- Calving detectors
- Heat detection system – base unit
- Heat detection system – collar or ankle band
- Heat and service detector
- Hand-held automatic teat washing system
- Visual image of analysis of cow and body condition score
- Auto cattle weighing equipment
- Calving gate
- Real time milk analysis
Sheep Equipment
- Electronic weigh crate
- Sheep handler
- Automatic weighing and drafting crate for sheep
General Livestock
- Electric fencer energiser
- Electronic weigh systems (all species)
- Cameras for monitoring livestock
- UV water treatment system
- EID Hand held recorder device
- EID Hand held device (stick reader)
- Auto EID drench gun
- Vaccination gun with RFID reader for vaccination of livestock
Precision farming equipment
- Grassland sward lifters
- Pasture plate meter (handheld)
- GPS guidance
- GPS guidance with autosteer on old tractor – bolt on motor
- GPS guidance with auto steer on old tractor replacement steering wheel with motor
- GPS guidance with integration of hydraulic steering & ISOBUS implement control
- Yield monitoring
- Variable rate for controller for sprayers and fertiliser spreaders
- Flow sate monitoring of slurry
- Measuring nitrogen levels in crops using light reflectance
- Hand held device for measuring nitrogen levels in crops using light reflectance
- Chlorophyll meter
- Trailing shoe slurry system including macerators
- Dribble bar
- Shallow injection systems
General agricultural equipment
- Slurry store covers ring tank cover-floating e.g. nicoflex
- Lagoon store cover floating
- LECA AeroTOP system
- Heat recovery unit to pre heat water for existing hot water system
- Place Heat Exchanger (PHE) for cooling milk (plate cooler)
- Improving efficiency of Plate Heat Exchanger (PHE) including solenoid valve
- Controller including sensors
- VSD for fan
- Multistage burner
- VSD for crop bed
- Hydrolyser tractor
- Very flexible Tyres (small tractor, with rims)
- Very flexible Tyres (small tractor without rims)
- Very flexible Tyres (medium tractor without rims)
- Very flexible Tyres (medium tractor, with rims)
- Very flexible tyres (Large tractor, with rims)
Contact us today for assistance with managing the financial and tax aspects of your farming business.
