Farming Conference 2018/19

Our one day Farming conference has been specifically designed for partners and managers with responsibility for a number of farming clients. It is a specialist conference looking at a wide range of practical issues which will enable those attending to provide the best possible advice to their clients. 

The topics covered are:

  • Prospects for UK Farming
  • Farming with Robots
  • Topical Issues
  • Farming and the Older Generation
  • Tax Update
  • Understanding Your Client
  • VAT Update
  • Recent Developments, Cashflow and Strategic Planning

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Full conference agenda

Richard King, The Andersons Centre

Richard will discuss the state of the industry, including:

  • Current farm profitability and balance sheet situation
  • Agricultural markets
  • Policy changes and Brexit
  • Outlook for the main sectors of UK farming

Prof Simon Blackmore or Jonathan Gill, Harper Adams University

This session will cover:

  • Precision farming
  • Smarter machinery
  • New technologies
  • Future vision

Jeremy Moody, CAAV

Jeremy will cover topical issues including:

  • Brexit and post-Brexit policies
  • English legislation
  • DEFRA and ammonia issues
  • Land value capture

Eliana Sydes, Tilney Financial Planning Ltd

Farming is a way of life as well as a source of income. Whereas most careers lead to a retirement date, farmers have more in common with the Queen. You are in the job until you die. But what happens when a farmer loses their mental capacity to farm, when serious ill-health strikes or when a farmer wants to retire?

This talk will look at the implications and pitfalls for farms and farming families when faced with the implications of a long-life. How to prepare for the unwanted, the inevitable and the possible.

Antony Pearce, Moat Farm

An opportunity to hear from a farmer as to how accountants and tax advisers can really add value to their clients.

Steve Ferrie & Keith Johnston, Armstrong Watson or Neil Owen, VAT Advisory Services Limited

This session will cover a variety of VAT issues of relevance in the farming and landowning sector including:

  • MTD for VAT
  • Alternative dispute resolution
  • Partial exemption issues
  • Livery and grazing
  • Aspects of the option to tax

Chris Thorpe, Mercia Group Ltd

In this session Chris will offer a refresher on key topics and an update on recent changes, to include:

  • Rollover relief
  • Entrepreneurs' relief
  • CGT and development issues
  • Furnished holiday lettings

David Missen, MHA

David will cover:

  • Farm cashflow
  • Medium and long term strategic farm plans
  • Succession and retirement
  • Other recent developments including the medium and long term impact of the Agriculture Bill

Conference speakers

Simon is a Professor and Head of Robotics and Automation, Agri-EpiCentre at Harper Adams University and Director of the National Centre for Precision Farming.

Jeremy is Secretary and Adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers and an independent adviser.

Stephen is a VAT Consultant and Chartered Tax Adviser at Armstrong Watson.

Neil Owen

Neil Owen is an independent consultant, speaker and occasional writer. He has specialised exclusively in VAT since 1984, when he joined HM Customs and Excise as a VAT officer. He entered professional practice in 1990, working for regional accountancy firms in the Thames Valley and Solent areas, before establishing his own VAT consultancy practice in 2007.

Neil has taken a close interest in VAT for academies for over ten years and continues to advise a number of clients in the sector, mainly MATs, on a regular basis

Jonathan Gill is a qualified robotic engineer, UAV Pilot and Mechatronics Researcher at Harper Adams University.

Antony trained in finance before returning to the 900 acre family farm in 2014. Since then, the mixed farm, located in Buckinghamshire, has evolved under his management. Cattle & sheep have gone but Christmas turkeys and market focused combinable crops remain. The family also farm in the Cotswolds which has been farmed as an arable joint venture with neighbours since 2007.

Antony was a board member of the Joint Venture Farming Group from 2011 and was recognised as an emerging leader by the Oxford Farming Conference in 2017. He promotes regenerative practices through his YouTube channel and was shortlisted for Soil Farmer of the Year 2021.

Keith is the Tax Director and agricultural tax specialist at Armstrong Watson.

Eliana Sydes is a Chartered Financial Planner at Tilney, a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society and TEP, holding the STEP Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Wealth Advising.

Richard is a Partner and Head of Business Research at the Andersons Centre. He is a qualified Chartered Surveyor and Agricultural Valuer.

Having previously been a Partner within a regional firm of chartered accountants, David is now an independent consultant. He is an agriculture subject matter expert for the ICAEW farming community and also writes assignments and lectures for firms within the sector. He has his own small farm which he has expanded with a mixture of arable, solar and stewardship areas.

One Day Conference

How to book

Prices for this conference are:

10 credits/from £320 +VAT
or
one off cash price £399 +VAT

To make a booking please email enrolments@mercia-group.com

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