The British Business Bank has agreed an ENABLE Guarantee with agricultural lender, Rural Asset Finance. The transaction is anticipated to support a portfolio of up to c.£120m to smaller rural businesses across the agricultural sector in the UK through a combination of asset finance and term lending. The funding is being provided by NatWest Bank […]
A new report from CPRE, the countryside charity, reveals that 59% of England’s largest operational solar farms are located on productive farmland, while almost a third (31%) of the area they cover is classified as the nation’s ‘best and most versatile’ (BMV) agricultural land. The research examined the 38 operational solar developments that produce more […]
More information has been released about the ADOPT Fund including confirmed funding rounds, timescales and how farmers can make the most of this opportunity. This initiative, part of the Farming Innovation Programme funded by Defra and delivered by Innovate UK, aims to support farmer-led research and development projects with significant funding and expert guidance. It […]
On average UK farmers have two-thirds (66%) of their total wealth tied up in their land, equipment and livestock, new analysis from Rathbones, one of the UK’s leading wealth management firms reveals. For almost a third of farmers (30%) interviewed this rises to over three-quarters of their wealth. The vast majority of farmers see their […]
For generations, rural businesses and communities have contributed significantly to social wellbeing. Anna Collins, partner at Knight Frank, argues that this contribution must now be properly recognised, incentivised, and rewarded. In light of declining public investment in social care, engagement, and overall wellbeing, private rural businesses are increasingly stepping in to bridge these gaps. Collins […]
Working farmers will be impacted more than landowners by proposed changes to inheritance tax on agricultural property, says the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT), which is warning that the changes are likely to lead to the break up of family businesses. The government announced limitations for agricultural property relief and business property relief for inheritance […]
Agritech is worth an estimated £13bn to the UK economy, but new research from Barclays finds that while six in ten farmers plan to adopt technological innovations, they are not being provided with the support needed, despite its potential to improve productivity and bottom lines. Barclays has been working with the UK agricultural sector for […]
More than 1,700 farms on the outskirts of English towns and cities have disappeared since 2010, according to a groundbreaking report published by CPRE, the countryside charity. The report reveals that productive agricultural land surrounding urban areas – land that could feed local communities and provide environmental benefits – is rapidly being lost from farming. […]
In response to the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill Roger Mortlock, chief executive of CPRE, the Countryside Charity said: ‘This Bill needs to incentivise and supercharge a different model for delivering the affordable homes people need. The answer lies as much in transforming the market as it does in planning reform. Without it we will […]
The government’s Inheritance Tax changes could be re-worked to be both fairer to farmers and fiscally beneficial for the Treasury, say leading audit, tax and business advisory firm, Blick Rothenberg. Heather Powell, head of property at the firm, said: “The frustration between farmers and the Treasury continues to build over changes to Inheritance Tax (IHT). […]
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