With COVID reshaping the landscape completely in the last year and the fallout of Brexit still yet to be felt, the agricultural sector has never been in a more uncertain place. Unfortunately, this has meant farmers across the country have had to scale back their operations, potentially culling workers that they might not need to keep on full-time.
That’s why the role of agricultural contractors has increased in importance dramatically over the past few years, allowing farmers to carry out work or make improvements to their businesses without having to up-skill existing workers or make serious investments.
If you represent an agricultural business that is interested in hiring agri-contractors, however, you’re going to want to consider covering yourself during these times of change and reducing any impact of business interruption by taking out some fresh farming insurance policies that include allowances for contractors. This includes public and product liability as will las employer liability and business interruption cover. The more comprehensive, the better!
What is an agricultural contractor?
An individual with solid agricultural skills and knowledge of the sector who decides to work not for one farm but on a more self-employed basis or a business that specialises in providing these individuals to those that require their services could both be considered agri-contracting. These contractors are likely to have their own tools and specific skills alongside specialist knowledge and expertise. This means they are able to bring these skills to the table on a freelance basis.
The benefits here are plentiful. Not only does it mean farmers only need to invest a small amount to get the tools and workers they need when they need them but there’s innate flexibility to the working relationship. It shows that farm owners can make use of reliable short-term assistance as well as reductions in overall costs and access to skill sets and machinery they may already be able to utilise.
Could agri-contracting be the sector’s saviour in 2021?
Agri-contracting is becoming more popular throughout the farming industry and what this means for farmers as a whole is that more specialist jobs can be undertaken without having to invest in the latest expensive machinery and specialist labour. For older farms particularly, this could be a godsend and could end up saving the business. It also frees up time and resources that can be spent elsewhere.
For individuals hoping to get into the agricultural sector, meanwhile, it provides an important gateway into the industry. It’s a booming market and one that is only going to continue to grow as Brexit starts to take hold and farmer’s budgets start to feel the pinch.
