Farmers and horticulturalists urged to find out how they can
become more profitable
04 June 2010
Farmers and horticulturalists visiting this year’s Royal
Cornwall Show are being urged to find out how their businesses can
become more profitable and resilient.
The South West Agricultural Resource Management Scheme (SWARM)
is designed to help farmers, landowners and horticulturalists
manage their resources more efficiently. It includes farm visits,
advice on resource management, developing action plans and looking
at potential support through a grant. It also looks at how they can
reduce the impact of their activities on the environment.
Since SWARM started in August 2009, there have been more than
1000 on-farm visits in the South West Region, with more than 100
being completed in Cornwall. The number of small capital grants
awarded through SWARM has passed its half century, with 63 approved
and a total grant offered under the scheme of just under
£400,000.
Representatives from the RDPE will be at the Royal Cornwall Show
to give advice to people interested in finding out more about help
available. They will be at the RDPE and Cornwall Agri-Food Council
Stand (Stand 288) where leaflets about it will also be
available.
SWARM is part of the Rural Development Programme for England
(RDPE) which is jointly funded by the European Union (EU) and UK
government through Defra. It is managed by the South West Regional
Development Agency, Natural England and The Forestry
Commission.
SWARM is made up of three elements - two advisory programmes
called Soils for Profit (S4P) and Resource Efficiency for Farmers
(R4F) and a small capital grant scheme
- S4P aims to help farmers and landowners improve the management
and use of their soils, nutrients and manures. The S4P project aims
to provide advice, training, demonstration and, if relevant, access
to the SWARM Small Capital Grant scheme.
- R4F helps farmers and landowners improve their management and
use of energy, water and inorganic waste. The project is being
delivered by Business Link across South West England and includes
on-farm tailored advice with in-depth technical assistance and, if
relevant, access to the SWARM Small Capital Grant scheme.
- The Small Capital Grant scheme is designed to complement S4P
and R4F by providing grant-funding for some of the equipment that
might be recommended by the advisory visits.
SWARM advisory visits include reviewing the farm situation, use
of resources and soil compaction etc. Advisors discuss options to
help and the visit is followed by a written report outlining
options available to farmers, landowners and horticulturists to
improve use and management of resources.
For more information, please visit the RDPE and Cornwall
Agri-Food Council Stand (Stand 288) at the Royal Cornwall Show or
see the updated
SWARM handbook.
Ends
Note to editors
Paul Goffe, local Region Organiser for the FSB in
Gloucestershire and the West of England said “This RDPE funding for
better broadband is excellent news for the Forest and the local
business environment. We will continue working with other
organisations to improve broadband speed and availability in the
area. To operate effectively and profitably, small businesses must
have the confidence in both the speed and reliability of their
broadband connection. Broadband is not an added luxury for SMEs but
an essential service similar to utilities such as the telephone and
electricity.”
He added “Many small companies in the area are ‘micro
businesses’ and home-based and rely on broadband technology to
function. It is important for the local rural economy that bad
service areas or ‘not spots’ are reduced and eliminated. This new
funding, together with more investment in the near future, should
ensure that the Forest of Dean has the right infrastructure to
support existing and new businesses.”
RDPE
The Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) runs from
2007 to 2013. It is the 2nd pillar of the Common Agricultural
Policy and aims to support the creation of genuinely sustainable
farming, forestry and food sectors, whilst also bringing wider
benefits for the economy, the environment and rural communities. It
provides the major financial vehicle for protecting and enhancing
the environment and securing a range of public benefits for
society. Defra is the Managing Authority.
The RDPE has three priorities for rural development:
1. Improving competitiveness of the agriculture and forestry
sectors
2. Improving the environment and the countryside
3. Improving the quality of life in rural areas and encouraging
diversification of economic activity
In this region, the South West RDA will deliver priorities 1and
3 with a budget of £156.8 million over the seven years. The RDA is
also responsible for ensuring that five per cent of the RDPE
funding is spent on enabling community involvement in rural
development. The delivery partners in the South West aim to ensure
that investment in each of the three priorities will help support
investment in the others.
The RDPE priority for improving the environment and the
countryside is being delivered nationally by the Forestry
Commission’s Woodland Grant Scheme and Natural England’s
Environmental Stewardship Scheme. In addition, a minimum of 5% of
the programme will be delivered through a local community-led
approach.
The aims, objectives and priorities for delivering RDPE in South
West England were agreed for the socio-economic investments with
regional partners and these are set out in the Regional
Implementation Plan. On the basis of a thorough analysis of South
West England’s rural characteristics and economy, the Plan sets out
eight themes:
i. Skills development
ii. Social enterprise
iii. Business support
iv. Supply chain and adding value
v. Resource management (soil, water, energy, waste)
vi. Sustainable rural tourism
vii. Biodiversity and landscape
viii. Community-led development
Organisations involved in delivering RDPE
The South West RDA leads the development of a
sustainable economy, investing to unlock the region's business
potential. It works in partnership with public, private and social
purpose organisations to drive up the region's productivity by
giving people the skills they need, encouraging enterprise,
improving infrastructure, regenerating places and promoting the
strengths of the region. For more information see www.southwestrda.org.uk
Natural England works for people, places and
nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and
wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. It conserves
and enhances the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the
wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it
brings. For more information see www.naturalengland.org.uk Environmental
Stewardship (ES) was launched in 2005, builds on the very best
practice already evident in British farming. During the period
2007-13 the national budget for ES will be £2.9 billion. The
objectives of ES are to:
- Conserve wildlife (biodiversity).
- Maintain and enhance landscape quality and character.
- Protect the historic environment and natural resources.
- Promote public access and understanding of the
countryside.
- Natural resource protection.
The Forestry Commission is the government
department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. It supports
woodland owners with grants, tree felling licences, regulation and
advice; promotes the benefits of forests and forestry; and advises
Government on forestry policy. For further information, visit
www.forestry.gov.uk/southwestengland.