Projects share £21.5m pot to boost innovation

VITAMIN-RICH tomatoes, climate-ready hemp and beans that help to reduce methane emissions from cows are among the farming projects that will receive a share of £21.5m in funding, the Government has announced.

- REBECCA SPEARE-COLE Environment reporter

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the money will back 15 initiatives across England aiming to develop research into tools that farmers can use to reduce planet-heating emissions and boost productivity.

Nearly £1m will go to “Sunshine Tomato” - a project that uses precision breeding to create a tomato enriched with provitamin D3.

Another initiative aimed at replacers with greener alternatives, with the hopes of cutting nitrous oxide emissions and improving soil health, will receive nearly £1m.

Work to develop climate-resilient industrial hemp that is better able to cope with changing conditions will also receive nearly £1m.