Prior to joining Defra, Gordon worked in the dairy industry managing a 250-cow Cheshire dairy herd.
Gordon now leads work on developing the new Farming Investment Fund.
Harish Rao I wanted to write a short post to remind you that there’s still time for you to apply for a Water Management grant before the window closes on...
We recently asked you to help us shape the list of items under the Productivity and Slurry theme of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF). The survey was due to close on 3 July. However, in response to requests to keep the survey open for a little longer, we’ve extended the deadline to midday, Wednesday …
The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund supports the purchase of equipment, technology, and infrastructure designed to improve agricultural, horticultural and forestry productivity in a sustainable way. Grants are offered towards the cost of specific items of equipment on a list. We promised to review the list of productivity and slurry items and we'd like your help.
You can now apply for a Water Management grant. In this post, I'll give a recap of the grant and the links you'll need to get started. I'll also include a video of the webinar we recently held.
In a few weeks' time, you will be able to apply for a Water Management grant. To help you prepare, we’ve published guidance for the grant on GOV.UK. In this post, I’ll give an overview of the grant and details of a webinar for you to find out more.
Before we launched Improving Farm Productivity in January, we made the manual available for people to look at on GOV.UK. Feedback suggested you found this helpful. So, ahead of its launch in June, we are making the manual for the next theme available today: Adding Value. In June, you can apply for a grant for buildings, …
The items for the first round of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund were developed with farmers, industry groups and other stakeholders. We’re adopting the same approach for the next round. We want you to tell us which items should be included, which items should be removed and which specifications need to be updated.
Recently we ran the first round of our new Farming Equipment and Technology Fund. We received 5,624 eligible applications worth a total overall value of just over £53.5 million. This is triple our initial budget allocation for the fund.
At the end of last year, we published a manual on the Improving Farm Productivity grant, which is part of the Farming Transformation Fund. Today we opened the window for applications. We’re also hosting a webinar next week for you to find out more.
Last month, we launched the Farming Investment Fund. It included the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund and the Water Management theme of the Farming Transformation Fund. Since the launch, we’ve had regular conversations to hear your views our approach. We want to make improvements as we go. In this post, I’ll share what we heard and …
Each month, we bring together the latest policy updates, funding opportunities, consultations, research and statistics, helping you stay informed about the issues that matter to you.
Meet the team in September
9–10 September Westmorland Show at Lane Farm, Crooklands, near Kendal, Cumbria.
12 September Romsey Show at Broadlands Estate, Romsey, Hampshire.
16 September UK Dairy Day at Telford International Centre, Telford, Shropshire.
19 September Isle of Wight Ploughing Match at Isle of Wight, Hampshire.
26 September Southwell Ploughing Match and Show at Southwell, Nottinghamshire.
Find a list of the other shows and events we’re attending in 2026
The Farming Advice Service (FAS) provides free, confidential advice to farmers and advisers.
Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) helps farmers in England protect water, air and soil. CSF advisers can provide advice on best practices and specific actions that will benefit your farm business and the environment.
We’ve compiled a list of organisations offering wellbeing support to those in the farming community.
Read the new guidance to understand what the changes could mean for your business and how to prepare.
From 6 April 2026, qualifying agricultural and business assets will continue to receive full inheritance tax relief up to a combined value of £2.5 million. Lower relief rates will apply to assets above this amount. Learn more
Innovate UK Business Connect invites you to join its new directory and connect with public sector buyers.
