Over the coming months Cheffins Rural Professionals department will be on site at a variety of on-farm sales, hosted by the firm’s Machinery department. Offering free, impartial and no obligation advice, the team will be attending a number of sales throughout the rest of the year, providing a vital service for those needing support in navigating changes to the agriculture industry.
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On-site sales have fast become a popular avenue for farmers and contractors to sell second-hand machinery via auction, following changes in farming policy or restructures. However, they are also an important meeting point for the farming community and provide a space where people can do business, catch up with familiar faces and share experiences. Recognising this, Cheffins’ Rural Professionals will now be on hand to offer informal and friendly advice on farm and rural property sales and lettings, rural valuations, estate management, grants and environmental schemes, forward planning and estate restructuring, all within a familiar environment.
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Katie Hilton, Director in Cheffins Rural Professionals department comments: “Right now, farming is in a state of flux. Many farmers have concerns around things like inheritance tax, rising costs, low commodity prices, and the challenges of succession. By being out at these sales, we can talk through their concerns and help them plan a way forward. It’s about giving farmers the space to take stock, while also making it easy to draw on the full range of Cheffins’ expertise.”
The Cheffins on-site sales regularly see hundreds of farmers and landowners in attendance. For example, on 10th September, the auction hosted on behalf of Eastern Farms Ltd, saw over 200 buyers attend to see a series of high value tractors and other machinery go under the hammer.
Katie Hilton continues: “Our stand at the machinery sales has been well attended to date, not only by the farmers and landowners who we already know, but we’ve also welcomed a number of new faces. Farmers I speak to at these sales often say that they really value the opportunity to attend these auctions as it gives them an opportunity to see friendly faces and socialise with others, in an industry which can often be isolating, and this is just as important as buying and selling.”
Rural surveyors and farm consultants from both the Cheffins Ely and Cambridge offices have attended several of the on-site sales in recent weeks, including at Debden near Saffron Walden, Somersham in Cambridgeshire and Cowlinge, Suffolk.
Charles Wadsley, Director, Cheffins Machinery Department says: “By bringing along the Rural Professionals team to many of our sales we are offering farmers a one stop shop whether it be for advice on selling kit, buying new machinery of general industry advice. These sales are an important touchpoint for many who work in agriculture throughout East Anglia, and we are looking to be able to provide the best and most useful experience possible. With farming facing so many changes in the months ahead, it’s more important than ever that we pull together as an industry and look forward to better times ahead.”
Cheffins Rural Professionals department will next be attending the sale to be held on behalf of the Abbots Ripton Farming Company Ltd near Huntingdon on Tuesday 18th November.
For further information, contact the Cheffins Rural Professionals Department on 01223 213777 - camb.agric@cheffins.co.uk