Survey Will Reveal State of Farming Sector
News release
16th April 2013
Chartered accountants Duncan & Toplis are quizzing East Midlands farmers about the state of their business – and they will reveal the results of their survey at Cereals 2013 at Boothby Graffoe in June.
The first ever Duncan & Toplis Agricultural Survey is being conducted via telephone interviews with farmers across the region. The aim is to build up a picture of how the agricultural sector is faring in these times of austerity, rising food prices and unpredictable weather patterns.
Duncan & Toplis plans to interview around 100 farmers, asking them questions ranging from employment plans and machinery purchasing to investment in renewable energy and farm diversification.
“These are challenging times for the region’s farmers and as business advisers we are keen to learn how the agricultural sector is coping,” said Mark Chatterton, a Partner and agricultural specialist at Duncan & Toplis in Newark.
“Arable farms enjoyed good profits a year or so ago but the wet summer last year and the extended cold spring this year have caused problems for many – and livestock farmers have also struggled with highly unusual weather conditions.
“All this comes on top of a sluggish UK economy, a double dip recession and volatile food prices, a combination of conditions which is making life very difficult for the farming sector.
“We’re asking farmers how their business is coping and what they think the future holds for the sector, and their responses are bound to make interesting reading.”
Duncan & Toplis has over 80 years’ experience of working in agriculture and acts for more than 500 farming clients across the East Midlands.
Most of the interviewees are clients of Duncan & Toplis but all farm businesses in the East Midlands are welcome to complete the survey, which can be found online at http://www.duntop.co.uk/publications/Agriculture-Survey-2013.pdf
As well as revealing the results of its agricultural survey at Cereals 2013 on 12th and 13th June, Duncan & Toplis is also running a competition to name a special beer supplied by Batemans Brewery which will be available to guests and clients at its stand.
The firm is using social media to ask people to come up with a memorable and fitting name for the beer. The winner will see his or her suggestion printed on the label on the bottles and will also win an iPod Shuffle.
The beer is premium strength at 4.5% ABV and is light-coloured and refreshing with hints of citrus. It is brewed using pale and crystal malts and a combination of wheat, oats and rye as well as Challenger hops.
If you would like to enter the competition you should email your suggested name to hannah.clark@duntop.co.uk by 12 noon on Monday 22nd April. The winning entry will be chosen by Adrian Reynolds, Managing Partner at Duncan & Toplis. Only one entry per person is allowed.
Notes to editors
- Duncan & Toplis was established in 1925 and has since grown into one of the largest independent firms of chartered accountants in the Midlands.
- Duncan & Toplis offers a wide range of services to small, medium and large-sized family businesses, from accountancy, audit and tax to payroll, human resources and computer services.
- The business employs around 300 staff, of whom 85 are currently engaged in professional training.
- Duncan & Toplis is listed in the top 30 UK accountancy practices in Accountancy magazine.
- Cereals 2013 takes place at Boothby Graffoe in Lincolnshire on 12th and 13th June 2013.
- It is the leading technical event for the UK arable industry with over 64 hectares of stands and live demonstrations.
- Over 490 leading suppliers will come together at Cereals 2013 to update nearly 26,000 visitors on the latest products, ranging from seeds to sprayers, crop varieties to cultivation equipment and fertilisers to finance.
Jez Ashberry
Shooting Star PR
01522 528540
jez@shootingstar-pr.co.uk
www.shootingstar-pr.co.uk
t: @jezashberry
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