United Utilities makes Cheshire farmers a fir offer

If you’re feeling in the Christmas spirit, and fancy getting in on the act, how about growing your own Christmas trees?

As an early festive gift, water firm United Utilities is giving farmers and landowners, in parts of Cheshire, financial support to grow a conifer crop on their land.

The Cheshire-based company is offering a grant of up to 70 per cent of the planting and establishment costs as well as expert advice and training on all aspects of Christmas tree growing.

United Utilities’ catchment advisor, Vee Moore, said the grant was only available to farmers and landowners or managers in its groundwater safeguard zones.

“Growing Christmas trees can be a profitable use of land and ideal for farmers wishing to grow low-input trees on less productive patches of land, field corners or grasslands,” she said.

“When Christmas trees are grown slowly, with small amounts of fertiliser, they cost less to produce and very little nitrate is lost to groundwater. This helps keep our treatment costs and customer bills down.”

Eligible farmers and landowners should email southcatchmentteam@uuplc.co.uk for more information.