Island Life Magazine Ltd June/July 2015 | Page 63

ADVERTORIAL Survey finds over half of UK farmers have not made succession plans Farming is more than a business. It’s a way of life for families who have often farmed for generations and involves family members of all ages, writes the NFU. A nd because the running of the farm is so tightly woven into the fabric of the family, it can be very difficult for farmers to make long-term plans for the future of the farm, including who will eventually take over. However, in an increasingly competitive global market place it is more important than ever for farmers to be able to plan ahead and invest to keep at the forefront of technological and marketing developments. To research the challenges farmers face we teamed up with Farmers’ Weekly – and the responses to our online survey of over 700 farmers confirms that this is a wor '