More than £168m in government grants will be made available this year to help farmers drive innovation, improve animal welfare and protect the environment.

Farming minister Mark Spencer announced the funding while speaking at the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) conference in Birmingham.

He said the money would focus on "practical solutions that advance food productivity and deliver significant environmental and animal welfare benefits".

These could include robotic harvesting technology, handling equipment and "cow mattresses" to help prevent lameness in dairy cattle, sensors on tractors to measure soil nutrient levels, or improvements to slurry storage.

"We know that sustainable food production depends on a healthy environment, the two go hand in hand," said Mr Spencer.

“Helping farms invest in new technology as well as bringing in nature-friendly schemes will support the future of farming.”

Norfolk farmer Jamie Lockhart was also at the conference on his final day as the county's NFU chairman, before handing over the reins to Tim Papworth.

He welcomed Mr Spencer's announcement, but added: "If the minister wants to support innovation and new technologies, it is about how it is delivered.

"The devil will be in the detail as to how soon we can access these funds for an industry that is so low on confidence right now.

"It has to be welcomed, but if it is being distributed in the same way as the Farming Transformation Fund, it is incredibly time-consuming and laborious."

The grants, delivered through the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) and Farming Investment Fund (FIF), will sit alongside Defra's Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes - a system of green incentives which will replace the EU's land-based subsidies being phased out after Brexit.

Mr Spencer also said the government also wants to support small abattoirs which are “crucial” for the rural economy.