Western Morning News (Saturday)
FREE SUPPORT TO HELP FARMERS NAVIGATE THE AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION EXPANDED IN THE SOUTH WEST
Farmers and landowners in the region will be able to access help to adapt to changes in agricultural grants, thanks to a £2.6 million support programme.
Following the success of earlier phases of the Future Farming Resilience programme, Devon County Council have received Defra funding to expand the initiative which will now cover Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly.
The project aims to help farmers, land managers and their families understand the changes and adapt to the gradual phasing out of Basic Payments which will end altogether in 2027. The loss of the Direct Payments will remove around £883 million of income from the four counties during the transition period.
Instead, the new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme which replaces it, will encourage farmers to focus on sustainable farming practices, encourage biodiversity and create new habitats for wildlife. According to DEFRA figures, 65% of South West farm businesses are at risk of closure due to low profitability and high reliance on Direct Payments, so the Future Farming Resilience programme will play a vital role in making farmers aware of the government support that will be available to replace these payments.
Free support for local farmers and land managers, led by Devon based, Business Information Point
To help with this major transition, Business Information Point will be leading the support alongside other providers, through a range of local workshops, webinars, and tailored, one-to-one advice. As an organisation, they have been supporting farmers locally for over 25 years and having worked on the earlier stages of the project, have a wealth of experience and expertise across all farm business types.
Transition information workshops to gain a better understanding of the changes to Basic Payment schemes as well as guidance on new grants and support.
Business Information Point Managing Director, Dee Gill is looking forward to supporting local farmers and land managers through this challenging period ahead:
“Having worked on the programme since its inception, we have supported farmers and their families across a broad range of areas such diversification, grants, soil standards, woodland creation, and succession planning, through local workshops and tailored, one-to-one advice.”
Our delivery team found that some farmers are quite excited about the changes, but they do seem to be in the minority at present.
The general impression is that farmers are not seeing this as the end of the road for them, but they are nervous of the unknowns and changes ahead, combined with the current business landscape in which they are operating. The beginning of the agricultural transition has unfortunately come at a time when many other external influences are having a significant impact on farming businesses, creating additional challenges.
“The support we will be able to offer through this programme will be flexible and tailored to each farm’s needs, enabling us to support them through the next phase of the transition.”
Workshops and webinars
Starting in October 2022, Business Information Point will be running free information workshops, held in local venues throughout Devon. These will then be expanded to cover Somerset, Dorset, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly from November 2022, run by other local agencies.
The aim of the sessions is to help farmers and land managers understand the impact of reductions to direct payments on their businesses and explore ways to mitigate these reductions as the payments wind down. Topics of discussion will include business diversification, productivity, new grants schemes and succession planning. It will also be an opportunity for attendees to get their questions answered by an experienced agricultural advisor.
In addition to the information workshops, Business Information Point will also be running small group webinars across the region which will provide a chance to explore and discuss individual topics in more detail with local experts.
The subjects of discussion will vary as the programme progresses but will likely include topics such as farming grant opportunities, using environmental schemes to generate income, and the benefit of woodland creation for farmers, to name a few.
One-to-one consultancy
Those who attend the workshops and want to explore how the changes will affect their business in more detail will be offered one-to-one business support assessing the impact the reduction in Direct Payments will have on their business.
Farmers will be able to access free, one-to-one support with a local network of highly experienced agricultural advisors. This will provide an opportunity for farmers to discuss how the changes are going to affect the farm business and explore the options available, including a detailed and thorough, independent investigation of all farming and business activities, either remotely or in-person to develop an agreed and documented action plan.
Digital and technology support
Digital agency and social enterprise, Cosmic will be supporting farmers and land managers to improve their digital skills throughout the programme, enabling them to have the confidence and ability to not only navigate the transition but to thrive.
This will include free workshops, as well as one-to-one advice, and training to help build digital confidence and enable the better management and day-to-day running of the farm business.
This could include making applications and requesting payments for Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements, submitting tax online to HMRC, or promoting a diversified farm using social media, Google or paid online advertising. The one-to-one sessions are delivered in a no-nonsense, practical, and supportive manner, free of jargon! The support is open to any farmers or land managers based in Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly currently in receipt of BPS payments.