Rural Business Category
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British manufacturers stick with UK suppliers
Many UK manufacturers are still fearful that the risks of global trade outweigh the opportunities, according to new research from Barclays. Findings from a survey by the bank suggest an emphasis on quality and loyalty amongst UK manufacturers with businesses looking to each other for support, rather than looking abroad. Almost two thirds of those surveyed source commodities or components from the UK and when asked to name the key deterrent as far as trading overseas is ...
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“Zombie” businesses stalk the UK
The UK is home to around 146,000 "zombie" businesses, according to R3. The insolvency trade body defines a zombie firm as one nearing the point of insolvency, but able somehow to hang on, with main features as follows: Just being able to pay the interest on debts, but not reduce the debt itself. In the event of a rise in interest rates, the business will be unable to pay its debt at all. Struggling to pay debts when they ...
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Superfast broadband for Wales by 2015
First Minister for Wales, Carwyn Jones, has announced a new deal with BT which aims to deliver Next Generation broadband to 96% of homes and businesses in Wales by the end of 2015. Outlining details at his monthly news conference, Mr Jones explained how the project will use public and private funds to deliver fibre broadband to parts of the country not covered by commercial plans. On completition, more than 1.3 million premises in Wales will have ...
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Dairy farmers blockade Wiseman plant
Between 600 and 700 dairy framers blockaded the Robert Wiseman Dairy processing plant near Bridgwater in Somerset on Thursday night, the BBC has reported. The protest over milk prices also saw gatherings in the Midlands and Yorkshire backed by Farmers for Action, which has given the UK's leading milk processors an August 1st deadline to reinstate cuts in the milk price forced upon British dairy farmers since April of this year. The campaign has recently gathered celebrity ...
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Government unveils infrastructure and export finance guarantees
The Government has today unveiled a new £40 billion guarantees scheme aimed at increasing investment in UK infrastructure projects. The first guarantees are expected to be awarded in the Autumn and will encourage institutional investors, such as pension funds, to invest in projects across a range of sectors including transport, utilities, energy and communications. In addition, HM Treasury has announced that a £5 billion export refinancing facility will be made available later this year to support British ...
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New scheme bolsters lending to UK business
CMM Rural has noted two developments this week that should benefit rural businesses. Firstly, the Bank of England and HM Treasury have launched the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS), which is designed to boost lending to both firms and households. Under the scheme, banks and building societies can secure cheaper funding. In addition, for every pound of additional lending achieved, an additional pound of FLS cash will be made available to lenders participating in the scheme. So as banks ...
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English farmland prices continue to firm
English farmland prices rose on average by 3.7% in the three months to the end of June, according to Knight Frank. The increase takes 12-month growth to 2.3% following a marginal rise in the first quarter of 2012 and a drop of 2% in the second half of 2011. The real estate agent estimates the current value of English agricultural land at £6,295/acre, almost £140 above the previous record high of £6,156/acre reached in summer 2011. Andrew Shirley, ...
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FFA and NFU set August deadline for reinstatement of milk prices
Farmers for Action (FFA) is calling on UK milk processors to reinstate all price cuts that have taken place since 1st April 2012. Throwing down the gauntlet to processors, FFA says: "They have until 1st August 2012 to confirm that this will be done, if not they will need to notify their retail customers that milk distribution will be seriously disrupted." Falling milk prices have led to calls to FFA from a number of large scale dairy ...
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New developments among rural business lenders
CMM Rural has recently seen some interesting developments and new opportunities among lenders that service the UK's diverse rural economy. Firstly, a leading bank has appointed a national agricultural specialist who is tasked with providing agricultural expertise across the country and increasing his firm's market share in the sector. The move has a ring of authenticity about it because the person taking up the post was brought up on pig farm and has previously worked as a ...
