Optimise the ability of your farming business to align with evolving Scottish agri policy

Optimising land use is a key priority set out in the Scottish Government’s Update to the Climate Change Plan 2018 – 2032. The goal is to move beyond just farming and food production, by transitioning to multifaceted land use that incorporates forestry, peatland restoration and management, and biomass production.

To better align with evolving agricultural policy in Scotland, many farming businesses will need to understand how they are performing now and what opportunities are available to enable them to adopt more sustainable practices in the future.

A business resilience plan provided through the Farm Advisory Service (FAS) can help Scottish farmers, crofters and land managers develop greater flexibility, and build capacity to adapt to changing market conditions and policy developments.

FAS can help farming businesses access up to £1,000 worth of funding to secure the help of a FAS approved adviser to develop a business resilience plan, which will assess the ability of your business to deal with changes in the supply chain and/or wider market variation.

The approved adviser will work with a participating business to:

• establish key performance indicators for financial resilience and analyse enterprise exposure;
• analyse business exposure to risk;
• assess profitability and cash flow;
• review the ‘health’ of the balance sheet.

To gain maximum value from the business resilience plan, farming businesses can also opt to apply for a follow-on Integrated Land Management Plan (ILMP). This will provide business owners with a step-by-step guide on how to address the issues highlighted in the resilience plan.

For more information or to apply for business resilience support, please visit www.fas.scot/specialist-advice/

To receive a hardcopy application pack, please contact FAS by calling 0300 323 0161 or emailing advice@fas.scot