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New funding will help develop robots听and听innovative technologies听that can plant,听tend听and harvest crops, giving farmers a helping hand at busy times of year, Farming Minister Stephen Morgan announced today听(Monday 3 August).听

Innovative听agri-tech businesses can now bid for a share of 拢20 million to collaborate with researchers and farmers to develop the next generation of farm automation and robots.听

The cash boost will fast-track the development of automated technology that can do everything from planting seeds to picking fruit, easing the pressure on farms that struggle to find enough seasonal workers at harvest time.听

The latest cash injection from the government鈥檚 Farming Innovation Programme听forms part of听a听recent 拢53 million boost听and takes total funding available this year to 拢123 million for听cutting-edge听farming research and technology.听

Companies such as Fieldwork Robotics are already developing robots that are transforming听English farming.听The firm听has built a raspberry-picking robot and is now using government funding to make it tougher and more reliable so it can be rolled out commercially.听

Farming Minister Stephen Morgan said:听

Farmers work incredibly hard to put food on our tables, often battling to find enough seasonal workers when the pressure is on.听听

This funding will help put cutting-edge robots and technology into their hands, easing that burden while boosting yields and profits.听

It鈥檚 a vote of confidence in British ingenuity, and a big step towards the kind of modern, resilient farming we set out in our Farming Roadmap.

Chris Danks, Head of Agrifood at Innovate UK,听said:听听

Robotics and automation are becoming increasingly important tools to help farmers improve productivity and build more resilient businesses.听

Working in partnership with Defra, we鈥檙e supporting businesses, researchers and farmers to work together to develop technologies that address real-world challenges across agriculture.听

This competition will help accelerate innovations from concept to on-farm application, supporting solutions that can improve productivity, sustainability and resilience across the sector.

This round is open to livestock applications too, building on听work听such as听Roboscientific鈥檚听DETECT听project听to develop technology that can sniff out illness in dairy cows before it takes hold. Using breath analysis, the system aims to catch bovine respiratory disease early, an illness that costs farmers dearly in lost animals, vet听bills听and extra work.听

It听also casts the net wider than听the previous automation round听which听ran in 2023, welcoming applications from ornamental plant propagation, growing and monitoring, where the technology could equally be put to work in food-producing horticulture, as well as forestry projects covering tree nursery and planting operations and woodland monitoring and management systems.听

Delivered in partnership with Innovate UK,听the听government鈥檚听Farming Innovation Programme听backs听bright ideas that solve real problems on English farms.听The programme is part of a government pledge to invest at least 拢200 million in farming innovation by 2030.听

Applications open today.听Innovators can find out more and apply through the听.