So the Article 50 trigger has been pulled, officially firing the pistol to start the Brexit process. At this time, rural business owners will be asking themselves a multitude of questions.
How can we prepare for a world without subsidies? What opportunities for global trade could there be? And will the UK really devise an agricultural policy that works for us? We asked experts from Strutt & Parker and across the wider rural industry to give us their views. Read what they said on page 20.
Strutt & Parker’s viticulture experts have advised winemakers across southern England for a number of years. So when we were asked to market a parcel of Kent land five years ago, we knew that it was ideal for growing grapevines. We took the bold step of specifically targeting the viticultural world – the first agent to do so – and it paid off. Today, Simpsons Wine Estate is preparing to bottle its first vintage of English sparkling wine from grapes grown on the land – a fine example of the huge potential that this burgeoning industry offers to landowners. See page 10 to find out more.
Also in this issue, we look to the future. We explain why investment is crucial if the landowning sector is to grow between now and 2030 (page 14), and we examine the benefits of the drive towards automated technology on the farm (page 24).
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