Agriculture, Food & Drink

The agriculture and farming sector is increasingly exploiting new science and technology. Farming operations are becoming more sophisticated and farmers are investing in various innovative projects for their buildings, equipment and new technology to meet the demands of their industry.

However in 2019 HMRC reported that businesses in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing industry were under-claiming R&D tax credits.

This means that there are still a large number which are missing out on claiming tax relief on R&D projects which they may be entitled to receive.

Farming projects that may qualify for R&D tax relief:

• Fertilisers, pest and weed control
• Adapting to atmospheric conditions e.g. silage wrap
• Development of new machinery and components
• Adaption of existing machinery, e.g. robotics
• Maximise yield through soil management and smart irrigation
• Processes to reduce waste or reuse waste products e.g. bio-fuels
• Feed supplements to improve livestock production/reproduction
• Use of sensors, drones and satellite technology
• Vertical farming or hydroponics

Food & drink projects that may qualify for R&D tax relief:

• Healthy ready meals with fewer preservatives and less salt;
• Improving food content nutritional value;
• Developing ingredients or food formulas that are both new and sustainable;
• Mitigating allergies such as dairy and gluten whilst maintaining taste;
• Improving the texture, taste and consistency of the food;
• Development of faster, healthier and safer food handling;
• Improving shelf life through variation of processing, storage temperature and packaging;
• Developing better ways to minimise contamination, waste and spoilage; or,
• Scaling up sample batches in a kitchen test environment to full production speed and quantity;