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 Somerset Business Agency, Creedy Associates, North Devon Plus, DR Company and the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group. This includes a range of local workshops, webinars, and tailored, one-to-one advice.

South West Farmer:

Over 350 farm businesses have already received one-to-one business support from the earlier phases of the project. More than 740 farmers and landowners have also attended Agricultural Transition information workshops to gain a better understanding of the changes to Basic Payment schemes as well as guidance on new grants and support.

Workshops and webinars

Free Agricultural Transition Information workshops will be held in local venues throughout Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly over the next two years.

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, Business Information Point will 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, such as farming grant opportunities, using environmental schemes to generate income, and the benefit of woodland creation for farmers.

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.

South West Farmer:

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.

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.

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 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.

For full details and to register for the free support, please visit the Business Information Point website at businessinfopoint.co.uk/ffr, call 0800 592 872 or email team@businessinfopoint.co.uk