Poots welcomes strong uptake of offers under £15m FBIS-Capital Tier 1 tranche 3

This follows the Minister’s decision in January 2021 to double the amount of money available to £15 million, following the huge response to his call for farm businesses to invest in Low Emissions Slurry Spreading Equipment (LESSE).

More than 2,900 Letters of Offer were issued to farmers and growers under the third tranche of Tier 1 of the FBIS-C, which closed on 4 December 2020, to support smaller scale investments to improve the sustainability of farm businesses. Just under 94% of those offers have been accepted.

Minister Poots said: “I very much welcome the exceptional response to the third tranche of Tier 1 FBIS Capital, particularly for Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment. Over 2,700 successful applicants have accepted their Letters of Offer, just over half of which are for LESSE and other ammonia mitigating equipment.

“In addition to having a key role in reducing ammonia emissions, the use of LESSE can play a significant part in increasing the nutrient available for crop growth from slurry application and reduces the potential for water contamination and nuisance odours.

“Farmers have demonstrated that they are keen to invest in up-to-date methods and technologies, to help develop their agriculture business into one that’s more sustainable and environmentally aware,” he added.

Over 3,800 applications were received to the third tranche of the scheme, which is designed to support small scale investments that will improve the sustainability of farm businesses through the purchase of equipment and machinery, costing from £5,000 to £30,000, from a list of eligible items.