Almost half of farmers in the region are more optimistic about the coming year than they were 12 months ago.
That’s one of the highlights of a survey by chartered accountants Duncan & Toplis.
The survey showed that renewable energy is increasingly being seen as a viable investment opportunity – more than a quarter of farmers surveyed had invested in renewable energy schemes last year, and of those who had not, 46 per cent were considering doing so this year.
Only 39 per cent of those surveyed were looking to expand by buying more land, choosing instead to focus on existing assets and make them work harder, the firm said.