Mayor overhauls Grow Yorkshire after report finds half of farms unprofitable

The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire has unveiled a major overhaul of the Grow Yorkshire programme after a report found more than half of the region’s 7,000 commercial farms are not making sustainable profits.

Approved at a Combined Authority meeting, the changes will see Grow Yorkshire reshaped into an expert advisory panel for the farming sector, focused on improving farm resilience and long-term sustainability.

The findings highlighted a range of pressures facing farmers, including market volatility, the impacts of climate change and ongoing policy changes.

Since its establishment in 2019, Grow Yorkshire has funded more than 100 audits and tests on farms, alongside developing special interest groups and training programmes.

However, the authority's review concluded that further intervention is now urgently needed.

“Our farmers are the backbone of York and North Yorkshire, but with more than half of farms currently making unsustainable profits, we cannot afford to stand still,” said David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

He said the changes would strengthen Grow Yorkshire’s role in representing the sector.

“Grow Yorkshire has already been so important at speaking up for farmers, today we’ve strengthened their role, giving a stronger voice to those who know farming and rural communities best,” he said.

Skaith added that rural areas must play a central role in shaping future support. “Rural communities can’t just survive, they have to thrive and be at the centre of telling us how to achieve this,” he said.

Under the new format, Grow Yorkshire will focus on implementing national recommendations to help more farms achieve sustainable profitability.

It will also back new farming methods to reduce environmental impact and work to remove barriers to training and farmer wellbeing support.

The initiative works with a range of regional and national partners representing the farming sector, including the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the NFU and the Country Land and Business Association.

Harriet Ranson, director north at the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), welcomed the expanded role for Grow Yorkshire.

"The CLA has been an active participant since Grow Yorkshire was first established, and we welcome Mayor David Skaith’s recognition of its importance and the expansion of its role into an Expert Advisory Panel,” she said.

She added: “The CLA is always ready and willing to represent our farmers and rural businesses within local government fora to ensure they implement policies that are fit for purpose, that stimulate farm profitability and wider rural economic growth.”

The revamped Grow Yorkshire panel is expected to play a central role in shaping future support for farms and rural businesses across York and North Yorkshire.