Sainsbury's has announced that £1 million will be made available to its farmers and growers to drive research and development. According to the supermarket, over 700 of its farmers and suppliers stand to benefit from the grant.

The money has been allocated to 14 projects, designed to improve animal health and welfare, efficiencies and supply chain resilience at field level, with others focusing on developing new products or processes which help to improve quality, taste and freshness.

The grant money comes from Sainsbury's Agricultural Research and Development fund, which has entered its second year; the fund aims to encourage farmers and growers to adopt leading-edge technologies and make use of research and innovations in farming.

Last year, projects supported under the fund included trialling innovations to extend the British strawberry season and reduce the reliance on natural gas for tomato, cucumber and sweet pepper growers.

The average awarded amount per project is £77,000 including a project to investigate methods of improving the yield of UK pears by optimising pollination.

Judith Batchelar, Director of Sainsbury's Brand said last week, "We launched the Agricultural Research & Development fund last year, and were inspired by the level of innovation and forward-thinking that was evident amongst the farmers and growers we work with. This year, once again we've seen just how forward-thinking the agricultural industry is with 56 impressive entries.      

"There are clear challenges facing the industry, but by helping farmers and growers to realise the potential of the innovative ideas they have and look at ways to adopt existing technologies and research, we can take real steps towards new and more efficient ways of working that benefit both them and our customers."

The 13 projects selected by Sainsbury's this year are:

• More crop per drop: reducing the water footprint and increasing shelf life of potted and cut herb production in the UK
• Controlling weight variation through post-weaning management methods
• Improving the yield of UK pears by optimising pollination
• Pest-free Organic brassicas
• Planting a future in Peru
• Improving supply continuity and product quality for leeks by developing frost protection methods and improved crop storage
• Development of best management strategies for the commercial deployment of cleaner fish in salmon farms
• Evaluation of the use of Faecal Egg Count estimated breeding values to reduce the use of anthelmintics in UK sheep systems
• Evaluation of a new on-line, on farm Faecal Egg Count diagnostics and decision support system for the management of internal parasites in livestock

Additional investment in extensions of projects from last year’s grants include:

• Alternative techniques for the control of Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN) on Jersey Potatoes
• Improving soil and water management for sustainable intensification of potato production of four key Sainsbury’s varieties
• Extending the British strawberry season through the application of supplementary LED lighting
• Improving protein prediction and functionality in milling wheat