FORWARD-thinking farmers are being brought together to embrace the sensitive topic of farm succession at a free networking and supper event at the Great Yorkshire Showground next week.

The Future Farmers of Yorkshire, a group supported by farming charity the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, is putting important family conversations about the generational succession of farms at the forefront of its Autumn Debate.

Free to attend for anyone with a stake in the future of British agriculture and kindly sponsored by Dee Atkinson & Harrison and Wrigleys Solicitors, the debate takes place at Pavilions of Harrogate on Tuesday, November 16 from 7pm.

It will also be streamed live on the Future Farmers of Yorkshire’s Facebook page for those unable to attend the event in-person.

With big changes to farming on the horizon, the topic of succession is timely.

Direct support payments based on the area of farmland will soon start being phased out and replaced by new environmentally incentivised payments.

Next year, the Government also plans to offer farmers who wish to exit the industry the option of taking a lump sum payment in place of any further direct support payments.

Given the seismic shift ahead, it has never been more important for this generation of farmers and their families to pause, consider and embrace a vision for how they want their business to be run and structured in the future, and crucially, who will drive this forward.

Succession can be tricky to broach constructively and sensitively because of the various and potentially conflicting wants, needs and roles of family members, but having a clear plan for the future of the family business can bring welcome clarity to people’s expectations and ambitions.

To cut to the heart of how best to approach this delicate issue and identify the opportunities of effective succession planning, a variety of perspectives will be shared during a panel discussion and Q&A at the Autumn Debate, which will be chaired by Rebecca Horne, rural consultant at Dee Atkinson & Harrison.

Attendees will hear from arable and beef farmer Annabel Hamilton, Orlando Bridgeman of Wrigleys Solicitors, Andrew Robinson from business advisers and accountants Armstrong Watson, and Heather Wildman, a succession facilitator and managing director of Saviour Associates.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Alastair Trickett, Chair of the Future Farmers of Yorkshire Alastair Trickett, Chair of the Future Farmers of Yorkshire

Annabel, who farms 2,500 acres along the Berwickshire coast with her father Will, will offer insights from her farm’s succession and knowledge transfer processes.

Panellists will also discuss common legal problems that arise, the emotional dimension of succession planning and how to manage the expectations of non-farming siblings. Business structure, taxation and making the most of relationships with accountants will also be covered.

Alastair Trickett, Chair of the Future Farmers of Yorkshire, said: “As farmers, our businesses are constantly at the mercy of volatile markets, costs and climates, and so we are often advised to focus on what we can control to ensure our business succeeds.

“Planning how succession will happen and how it will be managed are things we can take control of and turn into an opportunity, by finding the right ways to have family conversations about the future. If we don’t take ownership of succession planning, we put ourselves at risk of unnecessary financial and emotional consequences in the longer term.

“Ultimately, it is in everybody’s interests to plan for succession, to create clear pathways for the next generation to assume responsibility and bring fresh ideas to the business, whilst allowing older generations to plan when they step back and on what terms. By putting this into sharp focus at our Autumn Debate, we want farmers to feel empowered to broach the topic at home with greater confidence and awareness of the opportunities and pitfalls.”

To register for a free place to attend the Autumn Debate in-person, email futurefarmers@yas.co.uk