With British farmers having to contend with health scares, EU regulations and government subsidies, increasing numbers are looking to emigrate to New Zealand.

New Zealand is renowned for it's innovative farming and abundant natural resources. Dairy farmers in particular are seeing record payouts due to increasing demand for dairy products. New Zealand currently supplies 35 percent of the world's dairy trade and demand for dairy products is estimated to be growing by 2-3 percent a year.

New Zealand firm Bayleys Real Estate have sold more than $200 million worth of rural property to UK farmers in the past few years and interest from British and Irish farmers is so high that the company now has an office in London and runs regular seminars promoting the benefits of farming in New Zealand.

Bill Whalan, a director of Bayleys Canterbury, says British farmers are attracted here because farming practices are similar yet New Zealand offers a better way of life and more favorable conditions for farmers.

“The state of farming in the UK at the moment continues to deteriorate. Dairy farmers over there are making significant losses and the UK farmers as a group know the subsidies will not continue. We complain here about our compliance legislation but the average farmer in the UK spends between one and two days a week doing paperwork to comply with European Union regulations. It’s a real killer for them.’’

“They see New Zealand as a farmer’s El Dorado. They see it as like halcyon days of the 1960s, before the UK joined the European Union,’’ says Mr Whalan, who has three UK farmers, all of whom are cash buyers, currently looking to purchase farmland in the region.

In October, Bayleys will be running seminars in Exeter, Worcester, Chester, Carlisle, Wetherby, Antrim and Belfast for farmers who are looking at immigrating to New Zealand. The seminars will showcase available properties and provide attendees with information on immigration, regulations for offshore investment and financing options. Check out our immigration events calendar for dates and venues or Bayleys Farming NZ.

Fill out our New Zealand immigration free assessment or give us a call on 0845 601 7810 if you want to find out if you are eligible to emigrate to New zealand as a farmer.