Welsh livestock farmers can apply for government grants of £3,000 to £15,000 to put impermeable roofs over manure stores and livestock feeding or gathering areas under the Small Infrastructure Grant, which the Welsh government opened on 17 September to eligible businesses both inside and outside the Sustainable Farming Scheme's Universal layer.

The aim is to separate clean and dirty water by keeping rain out of slurry and manure systems, cutting the storage farms need and improving nutrient management. Clean water collected from a new roof must go to a clean-water drain or a rainwater harvesting system.

Funding is paid at a standard £40 per square metre of roof rather than actual cost, so a 100 square metre roof attracts £4,000 and a 250 square metre project £10,000. A farm may submit more than one application in a financial year as long as the total stays within the annual ceiling per customer reference number, and the application form stays open until March 2028.

An indicative £1m has been allocated for 2027–28, with applications judged in several selection rounds on expected gains for water and air quality, animal health and welfare, and climate mitigation. Extra weighting applies in sensitive river and lake catchments and in areas with evidenced nutrient problems, and participants in the SFS Universal layer score additional points. The first selection for 2027–28 funding begins on 30 November.

Farmers must have a grant award letter before starting work or buying materials, and may also need planning or sustainable drainage approval.

Photo: John Haynes / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Source: Farmers Weekly