Free SFI advice for farmers in the north of England

GSC Grays are offering a free half-day review to farmers considering the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme.

The review includes an on-farm visit and a report that outlines options tailored to the individual farm business and their objectives.

If further advice is required, we can provide up to two days of consultancy, free of charge.

Nearly 1,000 farmers have already benefitted from our FREE Farm Business Advice Service (FBAS).

In our recent survey: 82% of farmers felt sufficiently informed to make improvements to their farm following the expert advice they received.

What farmers are saying about FBAS

“Every business should do it. It’s free and there’s never any harm in getting a fresh perspective.”

“Very good, gave us lots of pointers for other things to think about.”

“Very beneficial would recommend to anyone.”

This is a limited scheme ending in February 2025. We would urge farmers to sign up as soon as possible before time and numbers run out.

Can SFI be more profitable than BPS? Hear more from director Robert Sullivan in the video below.

Robert Sullivan © GSC Grays

The GSC Grays Farm Business Advice Service is funded by Defra’s Future Farming Resilience Fund.

Agricultural transition – what are we transitioning towards?

For many within the industry, farming is at a crossroads.

Just as BPS is being phased out, weather, commodity markets and interest rates are all in flux and farming is suffering without its stabilising influence that safeguards food production.

The agricultural transition, from my perspective, is about farm businesses ensuring they are financially and environmentally sustainable, ideally having food production at their core.

Through the Farm Business Advice Service, we have supported over 750 farmers to date, and found the top five ways farmers are managing their transition to be:

1. Optimising the use of their best land and livestock and farming it in the most efficient way, with the labour and machinery pool being altered to reflect this
2. Incorporating environmental management options (such as SFI) where appropriate, provided that it fits with the long-term objectives of the business
3. Looking to de-risk their business, by adopting lower input systems and utilising SFI options to reduce their exposure to market volatility, resulting in increased, sustainable profits
4. Finding marginal gains across all areas of the business with attention to detail and by questioning every cost
5. Considering opportunities to develop new income streams that add value, complement the existing farming business and increase profitability.

These options have the most impact when a professional independent adviser can work with the farmer to assess the options and identify the best course of action based on their long-term objectives.

Free advice for farmers – act now

Our FREE half-day reviews allow farmers to access that insight at no cost.

The half-day on-farm visit concludes with a report that provides clear, realistic and practical recommendations to move the business forward and if further advice is required, we can also provide up to two days of bespoke consultancy, free of charge.

Previous scheme participants are starting to pursue the solutions that will help them to navigate the transition and achieve their objectives, with 80% saying they feel more confident to make improvements to their business following the review.

This is a limited scheme that ends in February 2025. There are around 80,000 BPS claimants across the UK and only 32,000 can receive the free advice.

We would urge farmers to sign up as soon as possible before time and numbers run out.

Watch the below video to learn more how GSC Grays has supported Rachel Hallos in West Yorkshire.

Get in touch with our experts today to book your on-farm review.

03333 059 059 | fbas@gscgrays.co.uk