Fluids Handling

Landia Questions Slurry Mixing Grant Criteria That Favours Fossil Fuel Powered Equipment

Landia 3 minutes ago

26 3 minutes read

Key points

Listen to this article

Pump and mixer specialist calls for urgent review of slurry grant eligibility rules

As UK agriculture continues to invest in renewable energy technologies including solar panels, wind turbines and biogas plants, pump and mixer manufacturer Landia is questioning the logic behind slurry grant criteria that it believes encourage the continued use of fossil fuel powered tractors for slurry mixing.

The company argues that the current eligibility requirements for slurry store mixing equipment on tanks exceeding 1,200m³ restrict farmers’ choice while overlooking more sustainable electrically powered alternatives that could utilise renewable energy already generated on farm.

According to Landia, the current specification effectively excludes all but one manufacturer from qualifying for the higher level of grant funding, raising concerns about both environmental objectives and fair competition.

Grant specification criticised for limiting farmer choice

Landia believes the current grant criteria place unnecessary restrictions on the type of slurry mixing equipment farmers can purchase.

Commenting on the issue, Howard Burton of Landia said:

“Despite all the proven efficiencies that we and other manufacturers can provide, the specification demands, for example, that an impeller’s diameter must be 600mm, and have upper and lower jetting nozzles. This doesn’t give farmers a fair choice. It is a total nonsense to discourage farms from selecting equipment that best suits their needs and their budgets – and ties up their manpower and expensive tractors too.”

The company argues that slurry mixing systems should be selected based on the operational requirements of individual farms rather than a narrowly defined technical specification that may not reflect the most appropriate solution for every application.

Concerns over environmental impact

Landia believes the current grant framework sits at odds with wider efforts to encourage sustainable farming practices and reduce carbon emissions across UK agriculture.

Howard Burton continued:

“Several farmers have told us that they do not want their tractor lumbered with these duties anyway. Tractor-driven mixing equipment might be cheaper to buy than electrically-driven alternatives, but a grant that very specifically demands a two-jetter machine (only available with a Power Take Off/PTO drive), run by a tractor is, in 2026, a pretty spectacular snub to all things environmental.“

The company questions why grant funding should favour equipment that relies on tractor power when many farms are already generating renewable electricity through on-site energy systems.

Renewable energy versus fossil fuel use

Landia argues that electrically driven slurry mixers provide an opportunity for farms to make greater use of renewable electricity generated from solar panels, wind turbines and anaerobic digestion facilities.

Howard Burton said:

“Unless that tractor uses Biodiesel (sadly, only in a very small number of cases), it will be burning fossil fuels. Even if it is running on renewable biodiesel, it still ties up the tractor and farm manpower. Compare that to a farm with wind turbines, biogas plant and/or solar panels that could use its renewable energy at source. We don’t understand why farms, rather than being helped to reduce their carbon footprint, are being pushed to burn up fossil fuel from a tractor that has far better uses!“

From Landia’s perspective, encouraging electrically powered slurry mixing systems would not only reduce emissions but also free tractors and operators for other essential farm tasks, improving overall operational efficiency.

Equipment longevity also highlighted

Alongside its environmental concerns, Landia also points to equipment durability as another factor farmers should be able to consider when selecting slurry mixing systems.

According to the company, covered pig slurry tanks present highly aggressive operating environments due to the presence of hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), which can accelerate corrosion of galvanised steel components.

Howard Burton explained:

“Farmers also want equipment longevity and value for money. In covered tanks containing pig slurry, the tractor-powered equipment’s galvanised steel will be attacked by H2S (hydrogen sulphide), leading to premature failure. This cannot happen with our mounting equipment, because it is made from stainless steel. Even in this aggressive environment, we would expect 20-plus years of service.“

Landia says the use of stainless steel mounting equipment offers significantly improved resistance to corrosion, helping extend equipment life while reducing maintenance and replacement costs over the long term.

Call for an urgent review of slurry grant funding

While Landia acknowledges that electrically powered submersible propeller mixers remain eligible for the lower level of grant funding of £3,800, the company believes the higher level grant of £8,000 for slurry stores exceeding 1,200m³ should be reviewed.

According to Howard Burton, the current eligibility requirements unnecessarily restrict equipment choice and fail to support the wider environmental ambitions that many UK farms are already working towards through investment in renewable energy technologies.

Landia is therefore calling for an urgent reassessment of the grant criteria to ensure farmers can select slurry mixing equipment based on operational performance, environmental benefits, durability and value for money rather than narrowly defined technical specifications.

Technical enquiries

Landia UK
Tel: 01948 661 200
Web: www.landia.co.uk

Contact Details

Landia Ltd

0194 8661 200
info@landia.co.uk
http://www.landia.co.uk
Waymills Industrial Estate, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 1TT GB

About us

Landia's headquarters are located in Lem, which is how it has been since 1933. Today, Landia has subsidiaries in England, Germany, Norway and the US, and a sales office in China. In addition, Landia products are sold in 45 countries worldwide. Landia supplies pumping and mixing solutions to many different industries, with the most important ones being agriculture, wastewater, biogas plants and the fish industry. In general, you will find Landia's products wherever there is a difficult medium to be pumped or mixed. Landia survives by selling quality solutions in close partnership with the customers.

Landia is not a supermarket where customers select products from the shelves. Our technical sales people are always in close discussions with customers, which ensures solutions that work. For Landia, quality in every phase a matter of course, and we have been ISO9001 certified since 1994. Quality also means that many of Landia's products have been in operation for 20-25 years even though the operating conditions may be extreme. In that way, Landia's customers achieve the lowest lifespan costs, while resource consumption is minimised, which further results in a positive impact on the environment.