A wine producer using bird-repelling lasers and cattle farmer using GPS collars to track livestock are among 17 innovative projects funded from a £500,000 pot to boost Surrey’s rural economy.

Surrey County Council’s Farming Innovation Accelerator supports farmers and growers with funding for projects to modernise operations, improve productivity, diversify and develop commercially.

More than 50 organisations submitted proposals via a competitive process, which is funded via UK government’s Shared Prosperity Funding.

17 projects from all corners of the county have now been progressed, with each recipient receiving a grant of up to £35,000 along with a bespoke programme of expert support to enhance their business growth plans.

Thanks to the scheme, Albury Vineyard will install an automated bird‑repellent laser. This will protect 18 acres of grapevines to reduce crop loss which, in turn, will increase production by over 1,700 bottles per year.

Another recipient is Browners Bees in Reigate, which will use digital hive monitoring and mechanised extraction equipment to make honey harvesting more efficient.

Beekeeper Harrison Brown said: “The funding is going to make a huge difference because it will allow us to invest in technology and equipment that would otherwise be very difficult for our growing beekeeping operation to afford.

“Digital hive monitoring technology will allow us to remotely monitor things such as hive weight, temperature and humidity across our apiaries, giving us much better information about what is happening inside the hives without having to physically visit every colony as frequently.

“We’re also investing in mechanised and automated honey extraction, processing and bottling equipment. As the number of colonies and the amount of honey we produce increases, doing everything manually would become a significant bottleneck.

“The new equipment will allow us to process larger quantities more efficiently, while improving consistency and reducing the amount of repetitive manual work involved.

“Ultimately, the funding gives us the opportunity to build the infrastructure to grow from a small beekeeping operation into a more efficient, technology enabled business, while continuing to produce locally in Surrey.”