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GSC Grays, the land and property experts, has launched Budget Lite, an innovative new service developed after detailed discussions with banks, to help farm businesses secure short-term funding and alleviate current financial pressures.
Following a challenging harvest in 2025, British farm businesses are under significant strain with rising input costs such as fuel, fertiliser and machinery costs along with commodity prices remaining in the doldrums and less grain in the sheds than normal. A recent government commissioned review highlighted that one in three farms operates at a loss from core food production resulting in a dependency on subsidies or off-farm income to survive.
In March, the government suspended the Sustainable Farming Incentive leading to a sharp drop in income for many farms while changes to Inheritance Tax relief put pressure on family farms, potentially forcing sales or restructuring.
Against this worrying economic backdrop, GSC Grays experts held a series of discussions with agricultural banks, leading to the creation of Budget Lite.
Robert Sullivan, Director, GSC Grays said: “It has obviously been a very tough harvest for a lot of farmers in 2025, and we want to help the industry cope with this perfect storm. Budget Lite is a tool to help clients obtain sufficient working capital to see farm businesses through their short-term cash flow needs.
“As a result of the 2025 harvest, most arable businesses know the funds aren’t there and are not certain how much they might need and when they might need it. At GSC Grays we undertake a lot of budgeting and cash flow work with banks but that is quite an involved piece of work and almost overkill for the situation that most farmers find themselves in.
“Many farmers just need a bit of support from the banks to get them through the next 6 to 12 months until Harvest 2026 comes around when the prospects are slightly better.
“Rather than doing a full-blown budget and cash flow and detailed analysis, which is a more costly exercise, we’ve stripped the product that we normally use down to the bare basics but which still provides the key information needed by their bank manager.
“The business may need £30,000, £40,000, or £50,00 and we are able to provide sufficient information for the banks to be comfortable that you’ve got a viable future and it’s just a short-term issue that you’re having to deal with.”
Budget Lite includes an indicative balance sheet that demonstrates the underlying strength and structure of the business, while focusing specifically on addressing short-term financial pressures. By removing unnecessary detail, the service can be offered to farmers at a significantly reduced cost. “The banks have helped us develop this” added Robert Sullivan.
“We spoke to several agricultural bank managers across the mainstream banks, who were of the same opinion as ourselves that short-term cashflow pressure was going to become a problem for most arable businesses. Following these discussions, they outlined what information they needed to be able to talk to their credit teams to put the funding in place.
“What the banks like about Budget Lite is the fact that it’s been sense checked by us. We are questioning the client to ensure it is the true position and that it’s robust and reliable information. It’s very much aimed at a mainly arable business, as these are the businesses feeling the strain.
“Bank managers do not like surprises and farmers have a couple of months before starting Spring work when, with the help of Budget Lite, they can put something together so that the banks are comfortable to provide the funding, and farm businesses know that the funding is in place through to Harvest 2026.”
The bespoke Budget Lite service is available from £1,000. To find out more, please contact Robert Sullivan, GSC Grays Farm Business Department on 03333 059059.
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