The Farm Business Review service offered a combination of an online tool, expert advice and peer support to help businesses prepare for the biggest agricultural shift in a generation.

How we supported farmers

The Farm Business Review service was funded by the Defra Future Farming Resilience Fund and ran from 18 August 2021 and closed to new registrations on 12 June 2022. It was designed to help those most affected by the move away from direct payments.

Farmers who signed up to the service could:

  • Access tools and resources tailored to them
  • Keep a record of how their business is performing
  • Connect with a consultant for free advice and support

The Farm Business Review tool closed on 31 March 2023.

What are farmers planning for the future?

The Farm Business Review service was funded by the Defra Future Farming Resilience Fund and ran from 18 August 2021 and closed to new registrations on 12 June 2022. It was designed to help those most affected by the move away from direct payments. AHDB won a bid in July 2021 to provide such support. This report presents the aggregated results of the farm information collected by AHDB as part of the service, based on a resilience assessment, Key Performance Indicators (KPI) calculator and agreed action plans conducted during September 2021 to May 2022 with farmers in England.

This report aims to answer the following key questions:

  • What are the key attributes of the supported farmers?
  • What is the current situation of the farmers, including:
    • How much BPS payment will each farm type receive?
    • How well has each farm performed (KPI calculator) and which type of farm performed better?
    • How resilient are the responding farmers and which type of farms are more resilient?
  • How do farmers feel about the future of farming?
  • How are farmers adapting, and what are their future plans?
  • What actions were discussed and agreed with support of the consultant?

Read the findings from AHDB’s Farm Business Review service in our report.

Read the full Harper Adams survey and action plan report.

Farmer case studies

Read about how farmers who used the Farm Business Review service made changes to their business in preparation for the reduction in BPS.


Further information

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