NFU Scotland is looking on manufacturers making an allowance for erecting or upgrading slurry garage to fulfill new rules to begin making plans and getting ready now.
Grant investment for slurry garage in 2023 got here from the Agricultural Transformation Fund (ATF) and was once to be had in the course of the wider Agri-Surroundings Local weather Scheme (AECS).
NFUS won affirmation from Scottish Govt in September 2023 {that a} new spherical of AECS would reopen for programs in January 2024. Amongst different pieces, the brand new spherical will beef up slurry garage choices with Scottish Govt intimating that the window for filing programs for slurry garage would open in early 2024.
Underneath new regulations, all farms the place farm animals slurry is produced can be required to have 22 weeks slurry garage capability through 1 January 2026. Slurry shops built prior to September 1991 have till 2026 to be compliant with the brand new garage necessities, however the ones built after this date will have to be compliant through 2024.
The Scottish Environmental Coverage Company (SEPA) has dedicated to operating with the ones farmers who’ve not up to 22 weeks garage after 1 January 2026 with the purpose achieving compliance as temporarily as imaginable. Round 60 Scottish farms implemented for slurry garage investment within the 2023 spherical, in large part because of the quick utility window, however the expectation is that many extra will observe in 2024 and the making plans procedure will have to get started now.
NFU Scotland’s Environmental Sources Coverage Supervisor Sarah Cowie stated: “Whilst we anticipate main points on what the slurry garage grant scheme will seem like when it opens in 2024, our revel in from the 2023 scheme suggests the ones making plans to use will have to get started the making plans procedure now.
“There have been a long way fewer programs to the 2023 scheme than expected with many doable candidates pointing out that they didn’t have sufficient time between learning that the grant was once to be had, the time limit for filing programs and the time limit for finishing the paintings.
“We have now prior realize of the grant investment returning in 2024. There’s no dedication but to investment past that so now’s the time for the ones expecting funding in slurry garage to devise forward in order that they’re able to use when the scheme opens.”