FARMERS in North Ayrshire, West Aberdeenshire and Orkney could have the chance to profit from free enterprise assist through a Farm Resilience Programme this autumn.
The assist comes from the Royal Countryside Fund (RCF), who will once more be working in partnership with RSABI to ship a sequence of workshops.
These workshops will present free enterprise coaching abilities, and one-to-one assist to farming households in Scotland.
As a part of the partnership settlement, the RCF is awarding a £15,000 grant to RSABI to help the work the charity does to assist individuals in Scottish agriculture.
Livestock producers within the three areas can apply now to participate within the programme which is open to dairy and livestock household farm companies.
Since 2016 the Farm Resilience Programme has supported round 1,400 farming households to enhance their enterprise efficiency and make actual modifications on farms.
A latest unbiased analysis of the programme discovered it delivers important financial, social, and environmental advantages for farmers.
58% of farmers reported elevated profitability and 73% bettering their enterprise abilities.
Doug Bell, who’s working with RSABI to handle the programme in Scotland, stated the Farm Resilience Programme represents a improbable alternative for farming households:
“Those that participate will achieve perception into their very own companies and profit from a variety of knowledgeable consultants, introduced in to ship the workshops.
“The worth of the programme was once more emphasised by the overwhelmingly constructive suggestions from final years’ contributors”.
Keith Halstead, Government Director of The RCF, stated: “The RCF was delighted to be working in partnership with RSABI on delivering the Farm Resilience Programme in Scotland in 2023/24.
“We’re very a lot trying ahead to this yr’s programme getting underway.
“The workshops cowl areas comparable to benchmarking and bettering on-farm efficiencies to cut back prices, in addition to succession planning, integrating environmental administration and enterprise planning.
“The programme has proven to extend the boldness of farming households of their decision-making which allows their farm enterprises to change into extra adaptable and helps construct their resilience to alter.”
Carol McLaren, Chief Government of RSABI, stated the charity was trying ahead to working with the RCF once more this yr, following the profitable supply of the programme in Ullapool, Stranraer and Caithness over the previous yr.
He stated: “With agriculture going through specific challenges for the time being and a time of change forward, this free-of-charge programme presents farming households a really useful alternative to essentially give attention to their companies and determine the place financial savings will be made and profitability improved.
“A wider profit is that the programme pulls farmers collectively to share experiences and strategies.”
Coordinators are at the moment being hunted for the three designated areas for the programme, which can shortly be open for purposes earlier than the workshops happen throughout autumn, winter and early spring.
