New AHDB service offers bespoke farm business support

AHDB has today (18 August) launched a new Farm Business Review service to help 4,000 farmers and growers in England plan, prepare and prosper in the future.

The free, independent service offers a combination of an online self-assessment tool, expert advice and peer support to help businesses prepare for the biggest agricultural policy shift in a generation.

The easy-to-use tool illustrates how the loss of direct payments will impact on individual farms, then allows users to evaluate both their business resilience and performance.

AHDB’s Business Resilience team, working with a network of consultants, will offer one-to-one advice to help farmers and growers assess the impact of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) changes, and work out next steps to develop their businesses. There will also be opportunities to take part in meetings with like-minded farmers

Funded by the £3.9 million AHDB secured from the Defra Future Farming Resilience Fund, the service is designed for beef, sheep, dairy, cereals and oilseeds producers – those sectors most affected by the removal of BPS income.

Based on the results generated by the Farm Business Review tool, AHDB will offer bespoke on-farm advice to 600 of those with the greatest need for additional support in specific areas of their business, such as full-farm benchmarking, carbon audits and agribusiness appraisals.

AHDB’s head of business resilience Steve Dunkley said: “With reductions in BPS payments having started, taking a wait-and-see approach isn’t an option for farmers who have been most dependant on this income.

“Reviewing your business and working out what needs to be done to create a secure future for you and your family should be a top priority. Our free Farm Business Review service offers a unique opportunity to achieve that, with the full support of AHDB’s business resilience team and bolstered by our nationwide network of consultants.”

The AHDB Farm Business Review service runs until February 2022, so farmers and growers are advised to register now in order to benefit. To find out more, visit https://ahdb.org.uk/farm-business-review