Home / Business and Economy / Surrey Farms Get £500K Boost for Tech Innovations
Surrey Farms Get £500K Boost for Tech Innovations
18 Oct
Summary
- 17 Surrey businesses awarded over £500,000 in grants.
- Funding supports modernizing rural firms with tech like lasers and GPS.
- Projects aim to increase production, reduce waste, and lower environmental impact.
Surrey County Council has awarded over £500,000 to 17 rural businesses through its Farming Innovation Accelerator scheme. This initiative is designed to help local agricultural firms modernize their operations and drive business growth.
Albury Vineyard plans to install an automated laser system to protect grape crops from birds, potentially increasing annual production by over 1,700 bottles. Wintershall Valley Farm will utilize GPS collars for cattle, enabling virtual fencing to control grazing areas without physical barriers.
Other projects include Sonde Place Farm's adoption of a GPS tractor guidance system to minimize waste and improve precision farming. Browners Bees will invest in digital hive monitoring and mechanized honey extraction to scale up production efficiently. Nutfield Dairy and Roehurst Farm will introduce vending machines for direct sales of dairy and meat products.
These grants, alongside business support, were awarded to successful applicants from over 50 organizations. Research indicates Surrey's farms contribute approximately £502 million annually to the local economy, highlighting the significant and varied nature of its rural economy.
