Where Do You Get Your Advice? – Max Sealy (Chippenham) A2

If you are reading this article then there is a fair chance that you at least know or are aware of the Farm Consultancy Group or are clients thereof.

There is a growing tendency, particularly in the dairy industry of taking advice from consultants who are intrinsically linked with milk buyers.  This comes on the back of the fact that a lot of farmers still take advice from suppliers of feed, fertiliser seeds and other suppliers.  Much of this advice is good and well meaning, however, farming businesses should differentiate between technical advice and solid business advice which needs to come from an independent source.  What other industry would take its advice, research and development from those who either sell things to them, or buy things from them? 

This will become particularly important in the future as there will be more free government advice and the quality of the decisions based on that advice will be fundamental to many businesses. 

Farmers should not feel patronised or forced into taking ‘standard’ type advice.  After all, how did you or your family manage to establish your farming business in the first place and why would you take advice from someone who has not had that experience either themselves or working in a long-standing relationship with other clients who have been successful in business.

With rising interest rates, rising inflation and spiralling input costs, solid well thought through independent advice will be key to taking those difficult decisions in the next few years.  There are fantastic opportunities out there and many of our clients’ businesses are going from strength to strength on the basis of working closely with their advisors, but also having a clear plan of what they want to achieve and where their businesses are headed.

For an independent joined up assessment of your business from the day to day technical to the financial and long-term business overview, contact Max at maxsealy@fcgagric.com or your local FCG Office today.