UK government funding will advance English farming projects to turn new crops and low-emission farm tech into ready-to-use tools that boost productivity.
Delivered through Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme in partnership with Innovate UK, the £21.5m funding will move cutting-edge research into practical tools for English farming – from vitamin-enriched tomatoes and climate-ready hemp.
Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle stated: “Innovation is central to a more productive, resilient farming sector.
“This funding will back new ideas farmers can use on the ground to cut methane and fertiliser-related emissions, strengthen crop resilience, and improve nutrition in English farming.”
New innovations in English farming
The successful English farming projects include:
- ‘Sunshine Tomato’ (provitamin D₃): Using precision breeding to create a tomato enriched with provitamin D₃. Building on earlier field trials, it aims to improve nutrition and help tackle vitamin D deficiency.
- Low-emissions fertilisers for dairy: Replacing 50% of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser with biological alternatives to cut nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, improve soil health and strengthen nutrient management.
- Climate-resilient industrial hemp: Developing high-value hemp varieties better able to cope with changing weather. Because hemp can grow on poorer land, it could offer new income streams from less productive farmland, supporting sustainable food, fibre, and biomaterials.
Dr Stella Peace, Managing Director at Innovate UK, explained: “Working alongside Defra, Innovate UK is ensuring precision breeding and low emission technologies move swiftly from research into real‑world use, enabling farmers and agri businesses to grow, compete, and unlock new economic opportunities across the UK’s food and farming sector.”
Strengthening the backbone of rural productivity
This latest investment signal is more than just a financial injection; it represents a strategic shift towards circular agriculture in English farming.
By bridging the “valley of death” between laboratory research and commercial viability, the projects ensure that British farmers aren’t just spectators to the green revolution, but its primary drivers. The focus on precision breeding and biochemical alternatives signals a shift away from resource-intensive traditional methods toward a data-driven, high-efficiency model.
The economic implications extend far beyond the farm gate. By fostering a domestic market for high-value crops like climate-resilient hemp, the government is laying the groundwork for new local supply chains in the biomaterials and textile sectors.
This diversification is crucial for rural resilience, providing a financial safety net against volatile global commodity prices and unpredictable weather patterns.
Advancing agri-tech and food security across the UK
This funding supports the government’s commitment to invest at least £200m in agricultural innovation by 2030, reflecting a clear choice to back rural growth and food security through the Plan for Change.
This builds on nearly £2.3m awarded to 30 projects announced in December through the first round of the government’s ADOPT Fund.
The trials are testing new ideas on working farms – from lower-emission machinery to digital tools that support day-to-day farm management.
