The FETF118 funding opportunity makes now an ideal time to invest in this innovative technology.
What is the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF)?
The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) is a £14 million fund established by the UK government to support investments in equipment, technology, and infrastructure that improves farm productivity and protects the environment.
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To be eligible for the FETF118 fund, applicants must:
- Be a farmer, grower, or other agricultural business based in England
- Have a minimum of 3 hectares of land used for fruit, vegetable, horticultural or potato production
- Not have already received funding for a weather station through a previous scheme
Successful applicants will receive confirmation of the grant funding, which can cover up to 40% of the eligible costs. The remaining 60% must be paid by the grower when purchasing the equipment. This presents an excellent opportunity for UK growers to obtain funding assistance with implementing an automated weather station and soil moisture monitoring system.
Application windows for the FETF118 fund:
Please note that the first application window closed on Wednesday 17th April 2024 at midday. There are another two application windows due – exact dates for these are unknown at the moment so keep an eye out!
RMA weather station and soil moisture probes from Agrii
RMA weather and soil moisture stations offer growers an innovative solution for accessing real-time, location-specific weather and soil moisture data. Growers can leverage this data along with soil moisture measurements from the probe to inform irrigation schedules, frost protection, and other operational decisions.
Features and Sensors:
RHIZA weather stations can be configured to include the following sensors and measurement tools:
- Air temperature and humidity sensor
- Measures ambient air temperature and relative humidity
- Solar radiation sensor
- Measures intensity of solar radiation and sunlight hours
- Rain gauge
- Measures rainfall in mm per hour or day
- Anemometer
- Measures wind speed and direction
- Barometric pressure sensor
- Monitors atmospheric pressure
- Leaf wetness