AN agricultural business expert appointed by South West chartered accountants and business advisers Westcotts boasts a wealth of experience of the farming industry.

Will Fisher, who joins the firm’s agricultural consultancy, has been working in the sector for more than eight years and will be acting for clients across East Devon and Somerset providing advice and support on a wide range of financial matters.

He specialises in helping farming clients with business performance, financing, budgeting and cashflow and is well versed in applications for government grants, stewardships and farming subsidies.

Will also runs a farm with his partner near Newton Abbot and manages around 200 beef cattle. He has a degree in agricultural management from the University of Plymouth’s Bridgwater campus.

He is currently based at Westcotts’ Holsworthy office but will move to the firm’s Bridgwater base on completing his training. He will represent Westcotts at many of the South West’s agricultural shows next year.

He Fisher said: “In my role as an agricultural business adviser with Westcotts, I hope to help grow the consultancy side of the firm.

"I will be heavily involved in all aspects of assisting clients to navigate their way through the often complicated process of financing their businesses and their access to grant funding, particularly as the industry makes the transition from EU to UK funding over the next few years. I deal with many of the grant and stewardship enquiries that come through.”

He added: “We’re always working towards the following financial year and so accurate forecasting and making the appropriate budgetary considerations is often a large part of the job.

"Farming can be very challenging and my experience in the industry has certainly helped me to have a real understanding of the pressures and priorities facing clients in this sector.”

Peter Brown, Agricultural Director for Westcotts said: “We are delighted to welcome Will to the agricultural team here at Westcotts. I’ve no doubt that his experience and expert working knowledge of the sector will be invaluable in helping our clients with the diverse range of financial issues they encounter when running their farming businesses.

“We understand that farming is more than a business; it’s a way of life and we have been supporting farmers with business and accountancy advice for over 30 years. I’m confident that Will can further strengthen our existing specialist team to meet the future needs of our clients.”