April 23 2010
PERFORMANCE Grant applications are on the increase as more livestock programme plans on cattle, sheep, pig and poultry farms reach fruition.
In the last round (March deadline / Round 4) 108 performance grant applications were received by the NWDA to help improve animal health and welfare, nutrient management and resource efficiency on North West Livestock farms.
Out of that total 106 have gone forward to a panel decision on April 28th (two applications were not eligible), with a total grant value request of £645,000.
Round 4 applications number nearly as many as the previous three rounds combined (to date 128 performance grant applications have gone through decision panels of which 124 were offered to farmers - the other four were invited to resubmit).
Closing Date for Round 5
The closing date for the next round of grant applications (Round 5) is 30th June 2010 (there are 15 rounds in total up to December 2012).
Examples of grant funded items
Animal health and welfare recommendations made by local vets and advisors have led to grants being offered for back-flush systems, heat detection, comfort mattresses and cubicles, specialist handling systems and specialist calf feeders.
The type of nutrient management projects that have successfully been offered up to 40% grants have included covering middens and silage pits, slurry aerators and separators.
And resource efficiency recommendations have so far seen performance grants offered to help fund heat recovery systems, solar panels and plate coolers.
Successful applications have largely been seen from dairy farms across the North West (110 dairy or dairy/mixed farms, 16 beef and sheep farms, one poultry farm and one pig farm).
Pigs
The pig producer applied for funding to replace his old electronic sow feeders. The feeders were breaking down and causing fighting and lameness among the gestation sows. The Livestock Programme awarded a grant to install new individual sow feeders which have solved the problems with sow aggression. Another pig producer has put forward an application this time for funds to update their farrowing accommodation.
Click Here for further information on Performance Grants.
Grants offered to date after three rounds of panel decisions:
| Animal Health and Welfare | 82 | £485,590 |
| Resource Efficiency | 18.5 | £108,675 |
| Nutrient Management | 23.5 | £139,535 |
| Total | 124 | £733,800 |