DIVERSIFICATION
Many farmers are looking at new ways to increase profitability including making their farms sustainable. For some farms, diversification could hold the answer. This means using your farm’s assets, such as its land, buildings, or machinery, to develop a new business activity.
Diversification ventures normally set out to contribute supplementary revenue and can complement the agricultural enterprise.Research conducted by NFU Mutual, following the December 2019 General Election, found that almost half of the farmers surveyed were planning to set up or expand a diversification on their farm. The main driver was to support farm income (40%) and a quarter wanted to create opportunities for family members. Read the NFU Mutual Farm Diversification Report 2020 here.
Before you begin diversify, you must obtain planning permission before any building work can begin. Our expert planning team can guide and also submit planning permission in diversification applications, including tourist accommodation, wedding venues, micro-distilleries, storage, workshops, and residential dwellings.