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Conference for Professional Farming Advisors- 23/05/2011
More than 40 professionals working in the agricultural sector in Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire heard cutting edge ideas on how they can help their farmer and land owner clients to improve their businesses from industry and legal experts at Harper Adams University College and Shropshire based law firm FBC Manby Bowdler LLP.
The Farming Matters Conference held at Harper Adams University College Campus at Newport in Shropshire gave attendees from accountancy firms, land agents, farming consultants, banks and local authorities the chance to hear the latest thinking on food security, economic sustainability, farming in a changing economic climate, taxation and town and country planning issues.
Left to right: Barrie Florey, Steven Corfield, Niall Blackie & Paul Horton
The half day course was designed to be a forerunner to a series of lectures which will take place over 12 months and will focus in more depth on these issues which are vital to sustain a healthy farm business.
Dr Barrie Florey, Head of Rural Affairs and Environment at Harper Adams said: “The conference and the accompanying lectures address some of the issues facing farming today, an industry where business cost management and profitability is vital to secure long term business viability.”
Steven Corfield, Partner and Head of Agricultural and Rural Services at FBC Manby Bowdler, who leads a group of nine specialist lawyers and currently works for a large number of farming clients and landed estates, including the Crown Estate said: “The Conference looked at a snap shot in time as to how farmers at the moment are adapting to changes brought about in financing, food security, taxation, town and country planning and rural litigation. A positive message was given by all the speakers for the future of the industry provided farmers take the necessary steps to prepare and plan for the changes in the business conditions”.