Scheme to fund activities such as hedge-planting paused owing to budget constraints, sources say

Grants promised to farmers in England for planting hedges and cleaning up waterways have been frozen by the government.

The capital grants scheme, which was opened by the government to allow farmers to invest in infrastructure such as slurry storage so animal excrement does not go into rivers, has been abruptly paused. Farmers have said this will make it difficult for them to run their businesses in an environmentally friendly way.

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