AHDB extends Farmbench for 12 months in reduced form

The AHDB has reversed its decision to close Farmbench, keeping the benchmarking service live for another 12 months in a reduced form.

The levy board had planned to shut the platform at the end of September, but will now keep it on its website while it works out a sustainable long-term future for farm benchmarking.

See also: AHDB shutting down Farmbench data service in September

The U-turn follows feedback from users and a review by newly appointed sector directors for cereals and oilseeds and for beef and lamb, who highlighted the value the service has given levy payers.

Farmers will still be able to access benchmarking data and regional comparisons.

However, the data validation service and the dedicated support provided by Farmbench managers will no longer be available.

The AHDB warned that some elements of the service, including regularly updated pricing information, may become less accurate over time.

It said the cost of running Farmbench over the next year would be significantly lower than in its previous format.

Anthony Hopkins, AHDB sector director for cereals and oilseeds, said it had become clear Farmbench remained a valued resource for many levy payers.

He said keeping it in a reduced format would maintain some support while the board explores what a more cost-effective benchmarking solution could look like.

Platform under review

Over the next 12 months, the AHDB will assess whether an enhanced Farmbench or an alternative platform could meet levy payers’ needs.

The closure had been announced earlier as part of wider budget prioritisation.

The AHDB cited falling levy income after poor cereals and oilseeds harvests in recent years, along with lower beef and sheep numbers, which cut funding for the joint service.

Farmers Weekly understood Farmbench had only about 300 active users, with declining participation said to be a factor.

The platform lets arable, beef and sheep farmers compare production costs and profitability against similar businesses.

The AHDB had also said it wanted to focus investment on new services making benchmarking more widely available, including automatic data sharing from farm software, though any successor was unlikely before winter 2026-27.