Farmers, crofters and agricultural contracts in Scotland are being invited to bid for up to £5 million for equipment that supports sustainable farming.

The Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme (SACGS) will provide funding for equipment “with a recognised evidence base” to protect the water environment and reduce the agricultural impact on climate change and air quality.

Support is focused on low emission slurry spreading equipment and slurry store covers that have been proven to reduce harmful ammonia emissions as well as the adverse effects on water quality resulting from the storage and spreading of livestock slurry and digestate.

The fund will open to applications on 26th April and close on 1st June 2022.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “We want to help people in Scotland to farm and croft more sustainably as we work to become a global leader in regenerative agriculture. Helping farmers, crofters and agricultural contractors to change their practice by ensuring they have access to the right equipment, tools and knowledge is key.

“Following the SACGS pilot, stakeholders called for better targeting and support to be given to equipment with a recognised evidence base. The 2022 SACGS round addresses these issues.”