FOR FARM BUSINESSES IN ENGLAND
Enhance your farm business with FREE independent insights and invaluable benchmarking data…
Join the Farm Business Survey and receive a confidential Farm Report providing detailed analysis of your farm business.
You’ll also receive a free printed copy of The Field Book, containing benchmarking information from across England, and a free standard Xero licence for as long as you take part.
Funded by Defra
Free individual
farm report
Confidential &
handled securely
Free standard
Xero licence
Free printed copy of The Field Book
Trusted by farmers
for 90 years
“It’s important that everyone takes part so that we get a better picture of farming ”
JOIN THE FBS
Unrivalled insights. Straightforward to take part. Always confidential.
To take part in the FBS, you will need to:
- Be a farm business based in England
- Turn over at least £21,000 a year from farming
- Meet with your local Research Officer once a year
- Be willing to share information from your farm accounts and records securely and confidentially
We take care of all the rest.
Register your interest now
Free to take part. We will only use the details submitted through this form to contact you about the Farm Business Survey. Published results are anonymised and individual farms are not identified. Your information is not shared with HMRC
WHY JOIN
The benefits for you and your farm
Taking part comes at no cost to your farm business:
- A confidential individual Farm Report, providing detailed analysis of your farm business
- A free printed copy of The Field Book, our annual guide to far performance and benchmarking across England
- A FREE standard Xero licence for as long as you take part
- Benchmarking information covering average and top 25% performance,
with regional results where available - Farm performance information, including costs, margins and returns, to support business planning and decision-making
- The opportunity to represent your sector, helping to inform the policies and support schemes affecting farming in England
FREE
printed copy of
The Field Book
“I’ve had profit data from the survey that I’d never have gotten from my accountant.”
WHAT’S INVOLVED?
A straightforward process, with support throughout
Taking part is straightforward, and your Research Officer will guide you through the process. They workvfrom the accounts and records you already keep, so there is no additional bookkeeping to complete.
1
Register your interest
Complete the short online form, then look out for a call from our team to confirm your details and check your eligibility.
2
Meet your local Research Officer
Meet on-farm or online and share the accounts and records you already keep. Your Research Officer will collect the information required at a time that suits you.
3
Get your report and insights
You’ll receive a confidential
Farm Report covering your own
business, plus a printed copy
of The Field Book containing
national and sector results
from across England.
That’s all you need to do, once a year.
“It takes very little work, it takes very little time. I just hand over the accounts and it’s a useful benchmarking tool.”
ABOUT YOUR DATA
Confidential, anonymised and designed to support you…
To get accurate insights and an honest assessment of your farm business, we do need access to your accounts – just the usual figures you’d expect, like income, costs, outputs, labour and assets.
This data is:
- Anonymised and combined with others for analysis
- Never identifiable to other farmers, competitors or the public
- Never shared with HMRC or other agencies
TRUSTED SOURCE
…and give your sector the support it deserves.
A representative Farm Business Survey gives Defra a clearer understanding of the realities facing different farm types and sectors across England. The anonymised results provide an important evidence base that Defra uses to:
- Design farming support and payment schemes that reflect the reality of different farm types.
- Measure farm resilience and profitability as input costs, weather and markets change.
- Understand diversification, productivity and where support is genuinely needed.
More farmers like you mean stronger, more representative insights for the entire sector.
FAQS
Learn more about the Farm Business Survey
?
Is it really free?
Yes. The Farm Business Survey is fully funded by Defra. There’s no cost to take part, and you get a free Xero licence for as long as you’re involved.
?
Who can take part?
Farm businesses in England turning over at least £21,000 a year, across all main sectors, including pigs, poultry, horticulture, cereals, general cropping and mixed farms.
?
How much of my time does it take?
Usually a few hours each year. Your local Research Officer does the detailed work using the accounts and records you already keep, so there is no additional bookkeeping to complete.
?
Will it affect my tax or subsidies?
No. Your data is used for research and policy only. It’s never shared with HMRC and has no bearing on your tax or scheme eligibility.
?
Is my data safe?
Yes. Your information is handled securely and published results are anonymised. Individual farms are not named or identified in published findings.
?
What do I get out of it?
A confidential Farm Report analysing your business and comparing your results with similar farms, a free printed copy of The Field Book, a free standard Xero licence for as long as you take part, and the
opportunity to contribute to the evidence used to inform agricultural policy.
JOIN THE FBS
See how your farm business really compares
Receive a confidential report about your farm business, a free printed copy of The Field Book and a free standard Xero licence for just a couple of hours of your time each year.
