Robots and cow mattresses: £168m to be invested in UK farming

theguardian.com:

Farmers in the UK will gain access to robots that can harvest crops in the absence of migrant workers, sensors on tractors to measure the nutrient level of soils, and cow mattresses to help prevent lameness in dairy cattle, under government measures announced on Tuesday.

Mark Spencer, the farming minister, hailed the £168m in grants to farmers as a way for farmers to increase productivity and improve animal health. “The role farmers play in putting food on our tables as well as looking after our countryside is crucial. We know that sustainable food production depends on a healthy environment, the two go hand in hand,” he told the annual National Farmers’ Union conference in Birmingham.

“Helping farms invest in new technology as well as bringing in nature-friendly schemes will support the future of farming.”

But the government’s latest attempts to woo farmers – who are facing severe hardship owing to high inflation – looked destined to fall flat, as it emerged that the money offered for the boost was merely recycled from a previous underspend.

Martin Lines, the chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, said: “It doesn’t look like it’s new money. It’s welcome investment that can help farmers invest in better productivity but if they are using the pot as part of the BPS [basic payment scheme, the current support for farmers] pot, there will be less money to deliver for environmental outputs. What isn’t getting done because they are using this money?”

Tim Farron, environment spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, said the re-announcement of money already pledged showed that the government had not grasped the issues facing farmers. “It’s an admission that the government hasn’t kept its election pledge to farmers, and that they