CLA president advises farmers to diversify now

The president of the Country Land and Business Association called on those he spoke to at the Northern Farming Conference to “embrace environmental money”, to diversify their farm businesses and consider earlier succession to protect profitability in the future.

Mr Murray said it was time to refocus on the importance of soil quality to improve productivity.

“If the truth be known this is something that has been consistently overlooked by a whole generation of agriculturalists and really does need urgent correction,” he said.

He added that an emphasis on soil quality would help farmers tap into a growing market for organic produce. Diversification, meanwhile, could insulate farmers from reduced support payments post-2020.

Mr Murray said: “As I go round the country I see farmers, land owners, diversifying as quickly as they can so that we can get out of this hideous fight of relying on public support for agriculture. We still need that public support but wouldn’t it be better if we could create our own income streams?”

He warned that connectivity - broadband and poor mobile phone signal - is still holding some businesses back from embracing diversification, and that changing with the times required “great energy and progressive ideas”, meaning that if possible families should consider passing on their farms to younger generations earlier than is common presently.