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Successful NFU and GSC Grays Business Breakfast Seminars for Farmers continue into the New Year

Successful NFU and GSC Grays Business Breakfast Seminars for Farmers continue into the New Year

The NFU has joined forces with GSC Grays, the rural land and property specialists, to stage a series of farming breakfast seminars across the North of England that are continuing in January to highlight the free and independent farm business advice available under the Farm Business Advice Service (FBAS).

Four very successful seminars have already been staged in Alnwick, Kendal, Harrogate and Driffield and another five are taking place in January at Tynedale Rugby Club (16th January), Selby Rugby Club (17th January), Holiday Inn, Scotch Corner (20th January), the Tickled Trout, Preston (25th January) and Roundthorn Hotel, Penrith (27th Januar).

With the imminent end of BPS payments, the NFU and GSC Grays believe it is vital farmers are given all the relevant information to help them formulate an action plan to tackle barriers they need to overcome to achieve their goals in the next 5-10 years.

GSC Grays wealth of experience is being delivered across the North of England as part of Defra’s £32m Future Farming Resilience Fund (FFRF) Scale-Up Project. A key element of the GSC Grays support will be a free on-farm business site review to give farmers a forensic examination of their business, including a financial risk assessment.

Guy Coggrave, Managing Director of GSC Grays, says the expert advice being delivered can be transformative for farmers who have the mindset to embrace change.

“Our FBAS scheme, which has received very positive responses, has a broad range of options for farmers to consider such as assessing the financial performance of their business by enterprise and preparing forward budgets, improving productivity, succession planning, business restructuring, public and private sector environmental schemes, diversification, renewables and tourism to help find the most profitable and sustainable solution for their business.

The breakfast meetings deliver a political overview and critical look forward to 2023 across key sectors and allow farmers to find out more about the Future Farming Resilience Fund and sign up for further free advice. So far, there has been a high uptake from beef, sheep, and arable businesses, however, all business types are covered.

Combined with inflation and rising interest rates, there is a real concern for the future and the Government’s BPS advance – in response to increased prices in May – was a stark demonstration of how integral subsidies continue to be in keeping farms afloat.

All farms are different and one size does not fit all, so we made sure that our FBAS scheme can be shaped to fit the farmer and their individual situation and needs. More than 300 farmers benefitted from GSC Grays expertise through the previous AHDB scheme, seeing first-hand how invaluable budgeting advice and other simple steps can be in preparing farm businesses for the future.”

Farm businesses will be able to receive free advice via a number of options including a one-to-one service (up to two and a half days of time), workshops, webinars and business group meetings.

The farming breakfasts review the performance and prospects for the key sectors across the region heading into 2023, using Model Farm case studies.

Anyone interested in attending the next round of breakfast seminars please can contact GSC Grays on 03333 059 059 or email  FBAS@gscgrays.co.uk. Or, to book directly visit our EventBrite page. Please note spaces are limited.

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