FUNDING is now available for dairy farmers in Cornwall to help improve their milk cleaning systems.

The Access to Finance+ scheme has been launched by Cornwall Council's Growth Hub. This funding will enable farmrs to replace their milk cleaning systems while lowering their carbon footprint. 

Eligible for up to 50% of funding, growth hub funding will allow farmers to replace their current system using chemicals to clean milking equipment, both automated and conventional, with a new system.

The new system, called Pulse Oxidation, offers a natural process that has been proven to provide a more powerful disinfection treatment than hypochlorite or peracetic acid, killing bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa, including chlorine resistant Cryptosporidium.

The system has also been proven to eradicate microbial biofilms. It leaves behind no residual chemical, nor any empty plastic barrels on the farm.

Paul Morris, of Pulse Oxidation’s developer, Oxi-Tech, said: “We are thrilled to find Cornwall Council Growth Hub’s new business grants are open to all dairy farmers, encouraging them to grow and improve their productivity whilst also delivering improvements in environmental sustainability.

"Taking advantage of up to 50% grant funding to invest in Pulse Oxidation will help them to do just that.”

Pulse Oxidation’s cold-water operation also eliminates the energy required to heat the cleaning water.

Additionally, the carbon associated in producing, transporting and packaging the cleaning chemicals is also eliminated from the unit’s carbon footprint, and for example will reduce a 250-cow herd’s carbon footprint by over 5t per year.