Farmers urged to make use of free business support

The free support is available for any farmer currently in receipt of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments
The free support is available for any farmer currently in receipt of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments

Farmers are being encouraged to take advantage of free tailored business support to help prepare for the upcoming changes in farm subsidy payments.

Fisher German is providing farmers and land managers with a free half day of advice through Defra's Future Farming Resilience Fund.

The firm has been appointed as a partner of SRH Agribusiness, a consultancy group that is accredited via the AHDB to deliver the service.

The advisory sessions will support farmers who are in receipt of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments to help them understand the changes that are taking place as a result of the agricultural transition.

They will provide tailored one-to-one support to address the changes and identify how and when farmers may need to adapt their business models and identify future opportunities.

The sessions will include details on how BPS payments will be phased out between now and the end of 2027 and a business resilience assessment which will identify areas of concern and how to address these.

Farmers will also gain the use of a KPI express calculator which will give them the opportunity to review their farm performance against benchmark data.

The initiative is running until February 2022, and Robert Browne, of Fisher German, is urging eligible farmers and land managers to take advantage of it.

He said: “It will give us an opportunity to support farmers ahead of what will undoubtedly be a challenging time for the industry, providing them with advice and guidance on how to adapt for the future.

“The advisory sessions are free for BPS payment recipients and are tailored to each individual.

"I would urge those who are eligible to sign up and make the most of the support that is available to them.”