Why I love launching The Rural Report

Over the past few weeks, since the first launch event in London, Ross Murray, the new chairman of our Rural Asset Management team, and I have presented at amazing venues in Marlborough, Bristol and Huntsham, near Tiverton, in Devon.

^{Above: Jess Robins in Valuations, Rural Report Editor Andrew Shirley, Ross Murray, Chairman of Rural Asset Management, Will Morrison, Head of South West Regional Farms and Edward Dixon, Rural Asset Management for the South West at Huntsham Court for the report launch in Devon}

Not only does it give us a chance to show off the report, which includes exclusive interviews with Defra Secretary of State Michael Gove and influential environmentalist Ben Goldsmith, but it’s also great to hear the thoughts of our eclectic mix of guests about the big issues of the day and the opportunities and challenges facing their businesses.

My table mates at the various breakfast and lunch events have ranged from the CEO of the Bumblebee Trust, to estate-owning reality TV star Francis Fulford and a landowner who once stood as an MP for James Goldsmith’s Referendum party.

Unsurprisingly, their views have varied widely, but all were fascinating to chat to and without fail I learned something new from all of them.

It was particularly worrying to hear from Gill Perkins of the Bumblebee Trust that we have to import 65,000 boxes of bumblebees from Belgium every year because there aren’t enough in the UK anymore to pollinate all our fruit crops.

Embarrassingly for somebody who studied crop science at university, I didn’t know that the wings of honey bees don’t beat at a high enough frequency to dislodge the pollen from the flowers of many fruit trees. We really need the bumblebees!

At each event, Ross, immediate past President of the CLA, has followed up my presentation with an expertly chaired and lively debate among the guests and colleagues include Edward Dixon, head of our Rural Asset Management Team in western England and Wales, and Tom Barrow, head of Country Valuations.

Brexit, of course, was the biggest area of concern for most people. While there was understandably little enthusiasm for subsidies to disappear overnight, there was a general feeling that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has been stifling innovation and entrepreneurialism in UK agriculture and scrapping direct payments would benefit the industry in the long run.

Several guests from the banking and advisory sectors highlighted the huge disparity in the financial performance of their most and least profitable clients. 

But there were also encouraging stories about businesses where the younger generation had introduced new ideas and systems that had boosted profitability. Interestingly, one of the findings of our Rural Sentiment Survey, which is discussed in detail in The Rural Report, is that succession is one of the biggest challenges for rural property owners and businesses.

Poor or non-existent broadband was another key factor identified as holding back innovation in the countryside. Guest after guest said that weak broadband and 4G mobile reception where they lived were making it difficult to diversify and attract new businesses onto their estates.

Planning regulations, however, were identified as the chief challenge. Tom Stanley, our new head of planning, explained though that this shouldn’t be the case. With the right advice and by following carefully the processes laid out in planning policy it should be possible to win most cases, he explained.

“It has been a fascinating few weeks meeting our clients and their advisors,” says Ross. “What has been refreshing has been the overall level of optimism for the future of rural businesses, but the clear message for Mr Gove and his team at Defra is that they mustn’t underestimate the challenges facing the industry post-Brexit.”

If you haven’t received a copy of The Rural Report drop me an email and I’ll send one over, or you can download a copy from our website.