The UK government has launched a £20 million funding competition to accelerate the development of robots and automated technologies for agriculture, with the aim of helping farmers improve productivity and reduce dependence on seasonal labour.
Announced by farming minister Stephen Morgan, the funding is available to agri-tech businesses working with researchers and farmers to develop robotic systems capable of planting, monitoring and harvesting crops.
The latest competition is part of the government’s Farming Innovation Programme and follows a recent £53 million funding package, bringing the total available for farming research and technology this year to £123 million.
The government said the funding will support the development of automation technologies ranging from seed planting to fruit picking, helping farms that struggle to recruit enough workers during busy harvest periods.
Among the companies already benefiting from government support is Fieldwork Robotics, which has developed a raspberry-picking robot. The company is using previous funding to improve the robot’s durability and reliability ahead of commercial deployment.
Stephen Morgan, farming minister, said: “Farmers work incredibly hard to put food on our tables, often battling to find enough seasonal workers when the pressure is on.
“This funding will help put cutting-edge robots and technology into their hands, easing that burden while boosting yields and profits.
“It’s 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.”
The competition is being delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, which said robotics is becoming increasingly important across the agricultural sector.
Chris Danks, head of agrifood at Innovate UK, said: “Robotics and automation are becoming increasingly important tools to help farmers improve productivity and build more resilient businesses.
“Working in partnership with Defra, we’re supporting businesses, researchers and farmers to work together to develop technologies that address real-world challenges across agriculture.
“This competition will help accelerate innovations from concept to on-farm application, supporting solutions that can improve productivity, sustainability and resilience across the sector.”
Unlike a previous funding round in 2023, the latest competition also includes livestock, forestry and ornamental horticulture projects.
The government highlighted Roboscientific’s DETECT project as an example of the type of innovation being supported. The project is developing technology that analyses the breath of dairy cows to detect bovine respiratory disease before symptoms become apparent.
Forestry projects covering tree nurseries, planting operations and woodland monitoring are also eligible, along with technologies developed for ornamental plants that could later be applied to food production.
The Farming Innovation Programme forms part of the UK government’s commitment to invest at least £200 million in farming innovation by 2030.
Applications for the £20 million competition are now open through Innovate UK’s Innovation Funding Service.
