Grants for pioneering farms which use lasers and GPS

8 hours ago

Tanya GuptaSouth East

News image — GPS collars will help keep cattle within virtual grazing boundaries

Surrey County Council A dark brown cow stands on a muddy concrete farmyard facing the camera. Straw is caught around the animal's nose and mouth, and yellow identification tags are attached to both ears. Behind the cow are white-painted farm buildings with red brick partitions and open livestock pens. A metal hay feeder filled with straw stands to the right of the image. — GPS collars will help keep cattle within virtual grazing boundaries

A vineyard using lasers to scare away birds and a farm introducing GPS collars for cattle are among 17 Surrey businesses awarded a share of a £500,000 funding scheme.

The funding from Surrey County Council's Farming Innovation Accelerator is designed to help rural firms modernise their work and grow their businesses.

Albury Vineyard, one of the firms to benefit, plans to install an automated laser system to stop birds eating grapes. The vineyard estimates the technology could boost production by more than 1,700 bottles a year.

Wintershall Valley Farm near Guildford will introduce GPS-enabled collars for cattle, allowing "virtual fencing" to control grazing without moving physical fences.

Sondes Place Farm, between Dorking and Westcott, has been awarded funding for a GPS tractor guidance system aimed at reducing waste and improving precision.

Hugh Broom, the fourth generation of his family to manage the farm, said: "It means less overlap, less waste and less diesel, but more importantly it means we'll be growing better forage off the same acres, with a lower environmental footprint."

Surrey County Council Hugh Broom leans against the front wheel of a large blue tractor inside a farm building. The tractor occupies much of the right side of the image, with large tyres and agricultural equipment visible. Farm sheds, feed storage areas and metal structures can be seen in the background. Sunlight enters from the open side of the building. — GPS tractor guidance will reduce waste and avoid overlap at Sondes Place Farm

Browners Bees in Reigate will use its funding to pay for digital hive monitoring and mechanised honey extraction.

Beekeeper Harrison Brown said the technology will allow workers to monitor hives remotely and process larger quantities of honey.

"As the number of colonies and the amount of honey we produce increases, doing everything manually would become a significant bottleneck," he said.

Nutfield Dairy will invest in vending machines for ice cream, coffee and other products, while Roehurst Farm in Walton will have a vending machine to expand direct sales of lamb, pork and eggs.

Surrey County Council A man examines ripe strawberries growing on elevated plants inside a covered growing tunnel. Red strawberries hang down from rows of green leafy plants suspended above waist height. Plastic crates are stacked in the background and crop rows extend through the structure. The image is filled with bright red fruit and dense green foliage. — Farms, vineyards, a dairy and a nursery have received funding

More than 50 organisations applied for funding, with 17 projects selected.

Successful applicants received grants of up to £35,000 and business support.

The council said research by the University of Surrey had found there were about 500 farms in Surrey, contributing about £502m a year to the local economy.

Councillor Matt Furniss said: "Surrey's rural economy is far larger and more varied than many people realise, and these projects show the energy and ambition out there."

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