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The concept of Natural Capital is to be a key part of UK Agriculture’s evolution, presenting farms with an opportunity to make change now. Unless you’ve been isolating under a rock of late, you will have heard the agricultural industry discussing the period of immense change the sector is set to undertake. A key aspect of the discussion surrounding UK agriculture's evolution is natural capital, the value attributed to our natural assets - our soils, trees, water, and ecosystems.

DairyNZ, the voice of New Zealand farmers, and software-as-a-service farm financial management firm Figured have established a new partnership to deliver more timely and accurate farm information to farmers, policy makers and rural professionals.

The arable farming sector has undergone several distinct periods of change and innovation over the last 50 years. The latest trend in innovation is the rise of regenerative agriculture, as the industry rises to the challenges imposed by climate change. This green movement is occurring at the same time as the rise in digital farming technologies and dramatic shifts in market economics.

A key topic of discussion at the recent IAgrM conference was how to face the challenges of the shifting agricultural funding landscape, which will see many farming businesses face real difficulties if they don’t sharpen their approach quickly. One of the great things about the conference was the depth of discussion on the importance of getting the right plan, culture and team in place to take the sector forward.

The demands for attention of modern estate owners and land managers are ever increasing. Swapping hats is part of the job. One minute managers are talking about farming, livestock management, crop husbandry, soil and environmental stewardship - the next, they’re talking about diversification and commercial lets. Being able to understand what is going on at any given point in time, and more importantly navigating the way ahead is crucial for estate owners and their advisors.

Agricultural businesses in the UK face many challenges, however, some of the most pressing are being exacerbated by changes in subsidy and market volatility. Having the best advisory team on hand to help, and being equipped with the best tools to assist in the process, has never been more important.

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of Agstute - the new service from Promar, powered by Figured and Xero. This partnership will see Figured form a key element of the technology to support Promar who provide leading advice and data services to over 1,000 clients across the UK.

As the agricultural sector faces a period of funding transition and change, many landowners will be looking much more closely around different options for their farming businesses. As the ELM funding programmes crystalise, there will be some opportunities but also a funding shortfall to work through for many.

Figured has been selected as the joint winner, alongside Xero, as the AgTech Finance Solution of the Year at the 2021 AgTech Breakthrough Awards. Read the full press release here.