Big demand for advice as Budget measures bite

Tighter margins focus farm minds

More farmers are seeking independent business advice as measures announced in last autumn’s Budget start to impact the industry.

“Pressures on the Agricultural Budget, sluggish markets and a lack of detail about future levels of funding are creating a perfect storm for farming and associated businesses,” says Charlie Ireland, managing partner of consultants Ceres Rural.

“With cash flows affected and confidence at an all-time low, there’s huge demand for good advice, strategic direction and consultancy services that help these businesses make plans for a profitable future.”

For many farmers, that means striking a balance between productivity and sustainability, while seeking out new opportunities and potential revenue streams, says Mr Ireland.

“These are the issues that our team of qualified consultants are dealing with daily, on family-owned farms and in much larger organisations.

Big decisions

Budget measures included the government’s decision to impose 20% inheritance tax on farm assets worth more than £1 million from April 2026 – despite previous pledges that it would not touch agricultural property relief.

Farmers have also been affected by increases in employers’ national insurance contributions, the decision to tax pick-up vehicles as if they are company cars and the harder, faster phase-out of the Basic Payment Scheme.

These challenges were then compounded by last month’s announcement to close the Sustainable Farming Incentive to new applications with immediate effect – shutting the door on a potential income source for many farms.

With many farm businesses also facing economic uncertainty – including tight profit margins, Mr Ireland said growers and livestock producers recognised there was an increasingly urgent need to take independent advice.

Group expansion

Three new offices were being opened by the Ceres Group to help meet this sky-rocketing demand, said Mr Ireland. Targeted expansion meant the team would be able to offer its services and expertise to more clients.

Ceres Group’s geographic reach is being extended to both the north and the south-west as it establishes offices in Northampton, Newbury and Stamford, in a move which will see staff numbers grow to over 100.

Just four years after its launch, its rapid growth continues, reflecting the industry’s appetite for its diverse range of specialist rural services – from planning to natural capital and diversification.

‘Geographic bridge’

The Stamford office would allow Ceres Group to service the growing needs of Lincolnshire businesses as well as across the East Midlands, said Mr Ireland. At the same time, the Newbury office would give the consultancy easier access to growers and livestock producers in the south-west.

The Northampton office introduces an important geographic bridge, facilitating the provision of services from east to west, across the Midlands.

It will also house an important knowledge centre for changing on-farm management practices, as farmers respond to the agricultural transition while dealing with the effects of climate change and tight margins.

The three new sites take Ceres Group to a total of eight offices. Existing locations include Shrewsbury, Chelmsford, Norwich, Saffron Walden and Oxford – which are now being joined by the Northampton, Stamford and Newbury offices.

Farmers at forefront of Defra’s ADOPT fund

A new farm innovation fund is launching this month – providing farmer-led, small-scale grants for farmers to trial new technology and methods on their farm.

The Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) initiative is part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme – a new farmer-focused scheme funded by Defra and delivered by Innovate UK.

The aim is to encourage farmers to trial, test, and adopt cutting-edge ideas, tools, and techniques that boost productivity, sustainability, and resilience. An ADOPT Support Hub will accompany the programme.

ADAS has been awarded the role of managing the hub – a centralised support system designed to help farmers, growers and foresters across England access the fund. It is working with the UK Agri-Tech Centre and the Soil Association.

Expert help

ADOPT is designed to put practical on-farm experimentation and innovation directly in the hands of farmers. The Support Hub will provide expert help for farmers navigating the process, so they can share knowledge that benefits the wider sector.

This will include sustainable farming practices and practical solutions to immediate on-farm problems to complement the larger technological advances being driven under other innovation initiatives.

The fund prioritises accessibility and real-world impact, ensuring that farmers of all types, from small family operations to larger enterprises, can easily engage, test and scale solutions that work for them.

“ADAS is delighted to be selected to lead this project” says ADAS managing director Jackie Evans. “We will bring our farm-focused expertise, supported by knowledge of practical innovation, to help farmers improve their businesses.”