Of the 70 director-level executives in the agri-food sector that responded to EFFP’s poll, 31.4% planned substantial increases in investment in capital expenditure and expansion projects in the next two years and 37.1% planned modest increases (compared with the previous two years).
Almost half of the executives polled (48%) were also 'confident' or 'very confident' that they would be able to raise affordable external finance to fund their plans (with a further 34% saying that they would not need to raise external finance to pay for their investments).
Only 14% feared they would not be able to secure the cash to implement their plans.
Respondents were from a range of firms from farm businesses (marketing groups and co-ops but not individual farmers), primary processors such as millers and food manufacturers.