‘Big changes will have a huge impact’

Business consultants have welcome the NICRE study – saying changes in agricultural policy will have a huge impact on farm enterprises.

Changes include the removal of 75 years of publicly-funded support for farming activities, massive changes in input and output prices, and the need for different approaches to land management.

Jonathan Armitage, head of farming at Strutt and Parker said this makes it even more important for farmers to plan ahead and manage risk. 

“The most successful businesses are driven by people who have a clear plan with focused objectives and who welcome engagement with all of their partners – including staff, customers, plus technical and business advisors.

“In these most challenging of times for UK farming, NICRE’s report is extremely timely. While it demonstrates the concern over regulation, our experience has shown a really encouraging level of enthusiasm and innovation to address the key issues.”

The National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE) puts combines research with practical innovation to find new ways of unlocking potential and supporting rural businesses and communities.

It brings together a number of university institutions – including the Centre for Rural Economy and Business School (Newcastle), the Countryside and Community Research Institute (Gloucestershire), and the Royal Agricultural University.