Rich Harvest For Farm Diversification

Outdoor holiday accommodation specialist Pitchup.com has reported the strongest year to date for farm bookings on its website. The business, which represents more than 300 farms across the UK, has reported that 53,000 bookings on farm sites were taken in the last year, a whopping 32% annual increase. One site on Pitchup books took £90,000 in accommodation bookings in the last 12 months. Given that average Farm Business Income (FBI) is just £33,000, this is a real opportunity for farmers to invigorate their business and reap the rewards diversification brings. “Parts of the farming industry have struggled in recent years and large numbers have now embraced diversification to sustain their agricultural businesses,” said Dan Yates, founder of Pitchup.com. “Many farmers’ main asset is their vast swathes of land, much of which can lie unused. We want to encourage farmers to use the space for creating camp and glamping sites. It’s relatively inexpensive to set up a basic site - planning permission and licences are not always required - and the returns are immediate. “With our help these last few statistics can change. Farming is vital to the economy of Britain and to supplement core income from agriculture, we are actively encouraging more farmers to consider diversification. “The British domestic camping and caravan market is worth £2.2bn per annum and we’re encouraging farms to get on board and enjoy a slice of this income. Farmers already own the land in most cases – why not put unfarmed parts of it to use?