This involved three workshops with the participants where a range of issues were discussed:
Options available.
The need for good due diligence.
Access to information, especially financial.
The challenges and barriers participants came up against and how they approached
these.
The four key motivations for diversifying were identified as (in order):
Financial gain
Desire to try something new
Reduce environmental footprint
Part of succession planning
Participants were asked to identify their top supporting partners in progressing their
diversification plans. These changed throughout the project, with the top five identified at the
end of the programme as (in order):
Agribusiness consultants
Supply/industry corporates
Banks
Other farmers
Accountants
The key barriers identified to progressing diversification plans were (in order):
Skills/human capital
Physical limitations/resources
Production uncertainty
Set-up capital
Lack of information