Farming giant’s restructuring plan

One of the largest farming businesses in the country – Farmcare – has announced plans to cease “operational farming” and instead focus on joint venture arrangements from next year.

The company was formerly owned by retail giant the Co-op before being bought over by the Wellcome Trust in 2014 for £249million.

It farms more than 30,000 acres across 11 sites, and its portfolio includes farms in Aberdeenshire and Blairgowrie.

In a statement issued yesterday, Farmcare said it was embarking on a “restructuring plan that will increase the economic resilience of its farms and ensure their long-term prosperity”.

Chief executive Richard Quinn said the firm was in negotiations with potential farming business partners to take on dayto-day management of the farms.

He said it planned to close its central office in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and its fruit business, which includes the Tillington Estate in Herefordshire and Highland Court Estate in Kent, will be sold as a standalone entity.

In the short-term no changes will be made, but operational farming will end before September 2018.

Farmcare’s fruit business is to be sold