SIX NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR EVERY FARMER

After the tinsel, turkey and telly of Christmas comes the nostalgic review-of-the-year reflections of New Year’s Eve – and the inevitable thick-headed realisation the following morning that a brand new 12 months is upon us, writes Tom Corfield.

New Year should be a time for optimism; whilst this is not exactly pouring forth from the farming community at the moment, it is important to face the future with a positive outlook.  Perhaps the song we should be humming quietly on Wednesday is D:Ream’s ‘Things can only get better’.

What is most important is to realise that the future doesn’t simply happen to us, but is something we can influence through our own actions.  With this in mind, may I offer six possible New Year’s resolutions for those in the agricultural community which, if kept, could make 2025 better for everybody?

The first is housekeeping: is the mapping for your land parcels all up to date?  Did you remember to remap that land parcel where the new barn now stands or following the sale of that corner to the next door property?  Are your hedges correctly shown on the maps?

A logical follow on from that one is to ensure that all your land is registered with the Land Registry.  Whilst this comes with a cost, it is a worthwhile exercise and if nothing else ensures that the deeds haven’t been lost!  It will also highlight any gaps in ownership where documents are missing and further work is required.

Resolution number three is to make progress with an application under the Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).  The expanded SFI offer was finally made live in July 2024, subject to an expression of interest process.  That requirement was removed in November, meaning the scheme is now open to all without further delays.  The expanded SFI offer includes 102 different actions providing much more choice than with the previous SFI offer.

Next, proceed with works under your Capital Grant Scheme (for those that have agreements in place).  Assuming the grant works are still appropriate for your farm, look to get these works underway.

The penultimate resolution is around diversification and planning opportunities.  Are you making full use of the assets on the farm, might there be other options to consider?  Funding of projects is difficult with increased interest rates but the return on investment could well be worth it.

Finally, 2025 is definitely the year to consider succession planning.  Following the Autumn Statement now is the time to start reviewing your structure and get a plan in place.

Of course, for many farmers cashflow is tight and some of these resolutions may not be achievable.  But at least some of them will be doable for most, and they will ensure a much happier new year.