New research from Cebr for Virgin Media O2 finds that improved rural connectivity could increase turnover for rural manufacturing businesses by over 7%, adding an extra £8.8bn to the UK economy. The analysis, published for the first time today, examines the role improved connectivity could play in supporting economic growth and transforming rural industries. Many […]
The British Business Bank has agreed a £100m ENABLE Guarantee transaction with leading fintech Oxbury Bank, the only UK bank with a singular focus on farmers, food production and the rural economy. This will be one of the first ENABLE transactions whereby the guarantee provides protection to an existing portfolio of lending. This means that […]
An Aberdeenshire nature education and outdoor experience business has successfully expanded its service offering after the business owner received support and funding advice from Business Gateway. Located in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, in the heart of the Cairngorm National Park of Scotland, Wild Braemar provides unique services such as guided walks, wild swimming adventures, outdoor learning, nature […]
A pioneering new fund from Traditum Private Equity aims to attract new investors to the agricultural sector. The Agri+ Fund provides an opportunity to support the rural economy and decarbonisation of agriculture while achieving asset-backed, tax-efficient returns. The fund will acquire UK farmland and invest in innovative ways to add value – for example by […]
Mark Chatterton, the head of agriculture at the accountancy group, has expressed his concern for this year’s harvest, predicting a difficult season ahead. There are several aspects which have negatively impacted the income this year in comparison to 2022 – including volatility in commodity markets due to the Ukraine war, weather instability and a significant […]
HeavyFinance, a leading climate tech investment marketplace, has financed €40 m in agricultural loans across Europe. The achievement marks a major step forward in promoting sustainable practices and the company’s aim of generating 250,000 carbon credits from 100,000 hectares of agricultural land by the end of 2024. The €40 m has been distributed across almost […]
At the half year point analysis of the GB farmland market by Savills shows average values have increased for all types of land, and prime arable land values now exceed their previous highs of 2015. Following a late start to open market activity this year by the end of June 85,400 acres had been marketed, […]
NatWest, the UK’s number one commercial bank, and WWF, the world’s leading independent conservation organisation, have announced a new strategic partnership to support a sustainable transition for the UK food and agricultural sectors. Together, NatWest and WWF will work to bring together players across the food and agriculture sectors in the UK to channel and […]
The programme director for the Future Farming and Countryside Programme, Janet Hughes, spoke to farmers at the event to explain the new schemes and answer questions about their implications. Mark Chatterton, head of agriculture at Duncan & Toplis, which supports nearly one thousand farming businesses, said that most farmers at the discussion concluded that they […]
Over 50 cutting-edge farming projects are being awarded £30m by The Farming Innovation Programme to help support farmers and growers produce more food sustainably in an attempt to move towards the net zero goal. The government has set out to create a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector with the aim of reducing methane emissions […]
