Would you like to help shape farm policy?
Defra’s Farm Business Survey (FBS) has been running for over 80 years and provides data to government to help inform and evaluate policy, using evidence to bring changes that help support the industry.
Real world data, brings real world solutions, and we need your help to gather it!
Following Defra’s recent extensive procurement process for retendering the FBS contract, Promar have been awarded the next FBS contract. This is a significant change for Defra, who have previously contracted the FBS to a group of universities. The tendering process is a routine process that happens every few years; it is designed to introduce market competition and value for money for the tax payer. Promar recognise the valuable expertise that existing Research Officers (ROs) have that they have built up over many years. They know the intricacies of how their participating farms operate and Promar are striving to retain those ROs in order to maintain continuity within the survey.
Promar’s mission is to streamline the data collection and processing through a modernisation programme, reducing the burden on participants. It is hoped participants will see as little change as possible. Most of the changes are ‘behind the scenes’ in how the data is recorded and processed. Promar can not and will not use participant information for any commercial or marketing purposes. The FBS will be run as a ringfenced activity away from Promar’s commercial activities.
Participants will be asked to agree to data sharing with Defra, this will mean Defra or Promar can link the FBS data to data Defra already hold in relation to other aspects of the farm (such as environmental or meteorological data). This will enable deeper analysis without multiple bodies gathering the same information numerous times.
Your details will ONLY be shared with Defra for statistical purposes. The full privacy details can be viewed here.
Are you an existing FBS participant? If so you will need to give your Research Officer permission to transfer your contact details to Promar in order for them to stay in touch.
If you are interested in joining FBS or have any questions, please call 01270 616800 or email GB-promar-enquiries@genusplc.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible. To sign up now, please click below to fill in a short form:
By taking part in the FBS you will be offered free access worth £600 to our Agstute farm business software, along with other free reports and benchmarking services.

Agstute is a Financial Farm Management service that combines accounting, reporting, planning, benchmarking and forecasting. Use Agstute to save time, aid financial decisions, manage cash flow and enable easy analysis of farm business accounts. Learn more here: