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£25m in grants made available to farmers to boost productivity
The grants form the third and final round of the Government's Countryside Productivity Small Grants scheme.
Funding can be used to buy new and innovative equipment. 

Farmers across the United Kingdom can now apply for grants to help boost their efficiency and improve the environment.

Farming minister Victoria Prentis said the third and final round of the Government's Countryside Productivity Small Grants (CPSG) scheme will see £25 million being made available to farming businesses.

Under the scheme, farmers will be able to apply for grants of between £3,000 and £12,000 to buy new and innovative equipment, from livestock monitoring cameras to precision farming technology. The initiative aims to help businesses save time and money and boost productivity.

“Coming from a farming family, I have experienced first-hand the benefits that having innovative equipment can bring, including saving businesses time and money while improving yields and minimising the impact we have on the environment around us,” said Ms Prentis. “Our landmark Agriculture Bill sets out further measures to help farmers become more productive, efficient and resilient, with specific productivity grants expected to be available from 2021.”

During the first two funding rounds of the CPSG scheme, some £35 million was allocated to farmers. This latest announcement brings the total funding made available under the scheme to £60 million.

Farmers that successfully applied to grants in previous rounds of the scheme will be able to apply for different items of equipment in the final round, up to the limit of £12,000 per farmer.

“It’s fantastic to be able to announce a third round of the ever-popular Small Grants scheme,” commented Rural Payments Agency chief executive Paul Caldwell. “Having access to game-changing innovative technology can make a real difference to farmers and help boost the productivity of the whole farming sector in England.”

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.