Suzie Horne

Sutton

Business Editor at Farmers Weekly

Yorkshire farming background, interested in all arable and livestock markets, family farm business issues

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Articles

Insolvency risks and mitigation steps for farm businesses

2 weeks ago | fwi.co.uk | Suzie Horne

A raft of issues including finance, employment and other costs, supply chain problems, climate change and international trade friction all combine to make business increasingly volatile. Challenges can come from within, through poor management, inadequate risk assessment and, in some rare cases, fraud. In other circumstances external threats, for example through the failure of a customer business, or a change in trading terms, puts another business in jeopardy.
Farm and land sales pipeline grows for 2025

3 weeks ago | fwi.co.uk | Suzie Horne

© Thomas-Faull/Istockphoto Land agents are appraising many more potential farm and land sales than a year ago. Whether these all come to the market in 2025 remains to be seen. While the acreage put on the open market in the first quarter of this year was well down compared with 2024, there is a general feeling among agents that the acreage will pick up significantly but, given such high demand, probably not enough to test values strongly.
Contract farming agreements: Risk v reward is a careful balance

1 month ago | fwi.co.uk | Suzie Horne

Contract farming agreements (CFAs) need to be more tailored than ever, advisers say, reflecting more closely the quality of land and buildings, alongside cropping and environmental measures. While the fierce cut to Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) funding for 2025 and the full stop on new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) applications are the latest shocks to the system in England, bespoke agreements were already increasingly common.
Why holiday lets must show super service to have IHT relief potential

1 month ago | fwi.co.uk | Suzie Horne

Farmers with holiday lets are being warned to closely examine their business structure to give themselves the best chance of eligibility for a key tax relief. The warning from advisers comes after a further furnished holiday let (FHL) claim for business property relief (BPR) from inheritance tax (IHT) was denied by the first tier tribunal tax chamber (FTT) last month. See also: VAT and diversification – beware the pitfallsBPR claims are tested as to whether they are trading or investment ventures.
What's hot and what's not in the farm diversification market

1 month ago | fwi.co.uk | Suzie Horne

It is a tall order to maintain a quality offering while managing rising costs, but it’s a balance which many diversified farm businesses are having to strike. Those with a public-facing front are finding customers more discerning, seeking value for money and a high level of service, often at short notice in the case of accommodation.
Grass-based dairy sees progress on herd and environment

1 month ago | fwi.co.uk | Suzie Horne

Calving was faster than ever this year at Sansaw Dairy in Shropshire, run by Breiffni Daly, the 2024 Farm Manager of the Year. The first four weeks from early February saw 1,130 of the 1,520 head calved. One of Breiffni’s many targets when he took the job in 2020 was to increase milk yields and further progress has been made on this front since the Farmers Weekly Awards judging visit last summer.
Rural England Prosperity Fund for diversifications extended

1 month ago | fwi.co.uk | Suzie Horne

The Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) has been extended for another year, with £33m available to fund projects which will improve local infrastructure or support businesses in rural areas looking to diversify. The extension of this scheme is positive news, says Jason Beedell, rural research director for Strutt & Parker.
Grants available for farms in England's protected landscapes

1 month ago | fwi.co.uk | Suzie Horne

Many farmers and landowners in England do not realise the wide variety of projects that can be funded by the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FIPL) programme. As well as preserving and enhancing the landscapes in national parks and national landscapes (formerly areas of outstanding natural beauty), the scheme can help fund diversification projects which attract visitors and customers to the areas covered.
Inheritance promises continue to lead to costly disputes

2 months ago | fwi.co.uk | Suzie Horne

Good communication, along with clear details of asset ownership, effective partnership agreements and wills can go a long way to preventing proprietary estoppel claims being made. Such claims are based on an expectation of inheritance following a promise to that effect, and where an individual relied on that promise to their detriment.
Clean power push brings grid reform and shifts site demand

2 months ago | fwi.co.uk | Suzie Horne

In an effort to progress towards the government’s target of a net-zero energy grid by 2030, reforms taking effect now mean that for a grid connection application to proceed, developers must show they have secured the land needed for a project. The change is designed to remove unviable or speculative projects from the queue for connections and to prioritise those with strategic importance and which are more advanced and capable of connecting quickly.