Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    Twitter LinkedIn
    • FREE Email Newsletters
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Magazine Subscriptions
    Twitter LinkedIn
    Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    • News
      • Arable & Agronomy
      • Dealership News
      • Environmental Land Management Scheme/Policy
      • Event News
      • Health & Safety
      • Machinery
      • People
      • World News
    • Farm Machinery
      • Amenity & Maintenance
      • Cultivations
      • Drilling
      • Grassland Equipment
      • Harvesting
      • Muck & Slurry
      • Sprayers
      • Telehandlers
      • Tractors
      • Tractor of the Year
      • Tyres & Tracks
    • Precision Farming
    • Markets & Policy
    • Profiles
      • Company Profiles
      • Reader Profiles
    • Livestock
      • Beef
      • Dairy
      • Sheep
    • Magazines
      1. February 2023
      2. National Arable & Grassland Awards Supplement
      3. January 2023
      4. December 2022
      Featured

      National Arable & Grassland Awards 2023 Supplement

      By adminJanuary 26, 2023
      Recent

      National Arable & Grassland Awards 2023 Supplement

      January 26, 2023

      February 2023 Issue

      January 25, 2023

      January 2023 Issue

      January 4, 2023
    • Events
    • Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    People

    Change afoot as Farm Business Survey contract moves to Promar International

    Matthew TiltBy Matthew TiltNovember 27, 20225 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

    Agricultural faculties in universities and colleges have collated data for the Defra-funded Farm Business Survey (FBS) for the past 85 years, which has had a significant impact on the industry.

    It brings together data on the physical, economic and environmental performance of businesses in England, built into anonymous data sets to inform government, policymakers, educators, researchers and farmers.

    Most recently it has been used to inform the Agriculture Act 2020, said Charles Scott, head of the FBS Unit at Newcastle University, which is part of the group that collates the data. “Very important areas of investigation have previously included the reliance on direct payments in various forms, as well as diversification and the extent to which it supports agricultural activities.”

    Robin Jackson, director of Rural Business Research (RBR) at Duchy College, highlighted that it’s not just government that benefits from this information. “Industry bodies – like the NFU and CLA – and multiple allied steering groups draw on information generated from the FBS – like the Enterprise reports and Defra’s Farm Business Income (FBI) report,” he said. “So do notable publications like Anderson’s John Nix Pocket Book.”

    And information from the FBS reaches consultants, researchers, educators, veterinary professionals and farm businesses who use it in their services, research, teachings and advice. “It helps to refresh the teaching of future farmers and growers and those in associated industries,” added Mr Jackson.

    It was formed in 1936 as the Farm Management Survey by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF 1919 to 1955) and has always been carried out by independent universities and colleges.

    “It was created to keep a finger on the pulse of agriculture at a time, post World War I and during the depression, when there was a concerted effort to pursue facts and figures in relation to different theories and methods to validate societal economics,” said Mr Jackson.

    Maintained over the decades, the Survey has been used to inform policy but has been seen to have the potential to be transformative for the industry. Further justification was found in 1973 when the UK joined the European Union and the data was used to contribute to the European Farm Accountancy Data Network.

    “It has informed government through wars and geopolitical turmoil – going into and out of the European Union – as well as through financial crises like recessions and other traumatic events like foot-and-mouth and the Covid-19 pandemic,” explained Mr Jackson.

    To date, the FBS remains commissioned by the government and is the largest research survey focused on farming and horticulture businesses in England. Until this year, for eighteen years, it has been undertaken by Rural Business Research (RBR), a non-profit partnership of six university and college research units.

    “It’s a stratified randomised approach,” said Mr Scott. “Farms are drawn from a list based on the June Census, sampling at about 2.5% of the farming population. The FBS data represents 90% of England’s farmed area and agricultural output.

    “For most, the incentive to get involved is having a free management account with detailed benchmarking ability. Farmers are able to benchmark against their peers – similar local farm types and business models – and are then able to take that information and benchmark regionally and nationally.”

    Whether they take part or not, farmers can access benchmarking information for free, explained Laura Black, vice principal at Askham Bryan College.

    “They can go to the FBS website and benchmark against similar business models; nation, farm type and tenure, by inputting their details – which won’t be stored or shared.”

    A lot of farms take part for a long time, said Caroline Lambourne, head of the FBS unit at Duchy College. “We used to run a 15-year cut-off – which we don’t anymore – but that shows just how long some farms remain and the value held by farm businesses.”

    The FBS enables information about the sector – which can be difficult to gain in other ways – to be accessed, explained Mr Jackson. “We don’t make decisions for government; it is for them to base decisions around the data we provide which is rigorous, statistically relevant, and – crucially – independent.”

    Ben Lang, head of the FBS RBR unit at Cambridge University, added that the partnership between universities and colleges has aided the co-development of methodology to enhance accuracy and reliability.

    “Farmers are facing a multitude of operational and financial challenges. The survey turns that into hard data that demonstrates farmers’ experiences and can be reflected directly to the government to explain what’s going on,” said Mr Lang.

    It collects over 2,000 variables and has documented experiences through policy changes like the multiple crises throughout the Common Agricultural Policy, the introduction of environmental schemes, and the challenges of Brexit.

    Defra has now awarded the next FBS contract to agricultural consultancy Promar International. Paul Wilson, chief executive of RBR and professor of agricultural economics at the University of Nottingham, has led the FBS since 2006 and says the RBR’s legacy will be felt for many years.

    “This includes the skills and expertise of the university and college staff who transfer to work for Promar. The FBS sample continuity will be enhanced through farmers who choose to continue to take part in the survey.

    “The methodologies in the FBS draw upon 86 years’ experience and intellectual input from our university and college institutions. This has played a key role in the rigorous data and analytical protocols that underpin the delivery of the quality FBS data.

    “We hope that our collective insight and experience will be retained within the FBS as it continues to serve the needs of Defra, farmers and growers, and the wider industry at this important time in our agricultural history and development.”

    Tweet
    Share
    Share
    Pin
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Previous ArticleNew Väderstad demonstration farm sees the launch of the latest kit
    Next Article How the SFI improved grassland soils standard could benefit livestock farmers
    Matthew Tilt
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn

    Machinery editor for Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer. Matt has worked as an agricultural machinery journalist for five years, following time spent in his family’s Worcestershire contracting business. When he’s not driving or writing about the latest farm equipment, he can be found in his local cinema, or with his headphones in, reading a good book.

    Read Similar Stories

    Farm awarded Scottish Sheep Farm of the Year thanks to rotational paddock grazing system

    January 30, 2023

    Commercial manager appointed at Limagrain UK

    January 30, 2023

    Brownfield owners encouraged to generate energy and income

    January 26, 2023
    Most Read Stories

    Terravesta hosting a February farm walk to showcase Miscanthus

    January 30, 2023

    Farm awarded Scottish Sheep Farm of the Year thanks to rotational paddock grazing system

    January 30, 2023

    Commercial manager appointed at Limagrain UK

    January 30, 2023
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer

    The UK's leading agricultural machinery journal

    Twitter LinkedIn
    © 2023 Lewis Business Media. All Rights Reserved.
    Lewis Business Media, Suite A, Arun House, Office Village, River Way, Uckfield, TN22 1SL

    Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions

    • AA Farmer
    • Poultry News
    • Pig World
    • OvertheCounter

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “ACCEPT ALL”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsREJECT ALLAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Analytics" category .
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional1 yearThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category .
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to store the user consent for cookies in the category "Others".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to store the user consent for cookies in the category "Performance".
    PHPSESSIDsessionThis cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    CookieDurationDescription
    _ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
    _gat_gtag_UA_31822138_191 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
    _gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    CookieDurationDescription
    OAID1 yearThis cookie is set when an AdsWizz website visitor have opted out the collection of information by AdsWizz service or opted to disable the targeted ads by AdsWizz.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    Powered by CookieYes Logo