Future Predictions

What will British farming look like in 10 years? A revitalised industry or much the same as it does today?

For everyone's sake, I hope the former. And whilst it's impossible to predict, here is one scenario I hope to see play out.

But I'm not talking about the technological advancements, autonomous tractors and data metrics. I'm talking the structure, people and most importantly the mindset.

So what do the next 10 years hold?

• Farm subsidies are either going, gone or changing into some other form. The environmental focus will become as important as food production
• The removal of BPS leaves a fairly large hole in farm finances across the board which needs to be filled
• Diversification is the order of the day as farms look to fill this financial hole and many options being in the open market (i.e. not funded or linked to Government)

And this is where I see it getting interesting. Farmers are world-class at producing stuff but we've never really needed to sell or market our produce - two key skills which I think are largely missing in agriculture.

• The next generation of farmers coupled with diversification, I hope, will drive a new breed of 'business farms' with newly found skills in sales and marketing to develop the industry
• These skills can be put to good use in our current food production and give ourselves a fighting chance against the big retailers

Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No. Sales and marketing is generally the last thing on farmers minds but they are skills that will become increasingly more important in the future of the industry.

This isn't taking away from the many other complexities and challenges we as an industry will have to face but  it's hopefully a hidden benefit of the removal of BPS.

It's just one scenario in a sea of possible outcomes but one that I think would go a long way in benefiting the industry.

Until next week.....