Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board

What Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board does

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is a UK statutory levy-funded non-departmental public body, established in 2008 and headquartered at Middlemarch Business Park, Coventry. It is funded by compulsory levies collected from farmers, growers, processors, and other supply chain participants across four primary sectors: Beef & Lamb, Pork, Dairy, and Cereals & Oilseeds. AHDB operates a portfolio of interconnected sector-specific products rather than a single unified platform, including Farmbench for farm benchmarking, Signet Breeding Services for livestock genetic evaluation, the RB209 Nutrient Management Guide, the Milk Price Calculator, the Recommended Lists for cereals and oilseeds, the Medicine Hub, and the Monitor Farm Network, supplemented by climate resilience and Sustainable Farming Incentive tools.

Underlying the product set is a sector-wide data platform drawing on exclusive partnerships with Defra, DAERA, RESAS, and HMRC, with its UK farmgate milk price survey covering approximately 90% of UK milk purchases. In February 2026 AHDB co-developed the NMPT-GB nutrient management planning tool with Defra and RSK ADAS and joined a consortium with Arup, the Open Data Institute, WRAP, and HESTIA to design Data Sharing Infrastructure for the UK agri-food supply chain under the government-commissioned Food Infrastructure & Governance project.

AHDB's business model is a non-commercial statutory levy model: revenue is collected via mandatory levies set under UK legislation, and most tools and data services are provided free to levy payers. Distribution is direct to UK farmers and growers through ahdb.org.uk, complemented by social media, the AG Show podcast, events, webinars, and email newsletters, with a parallel export development function through the Beyond Borders strategy. The organisation is governed by a board and sector councils under government oversight rather than equity ownership, with current leadership including Janet Swadling as interim Chief Executive Officer and Emily Norton as Chairperson.

Name

Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board

Legal name

Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board

Website

https://ahdb.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is a UK statutory levy-funded body that provides market intelligence, benchmarking tools, research, and digital infrastructure to farmers and growers across the beef, lamb, pork, dairy, and cereals and oilseeds sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Market Intelligence and Research

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (11521), Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming (112111), Sheep and Goat Farming (1124), Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm Technology Enablement & Data Integration Advisory (FMIS/ERP, IoT, Decision Support) (AFACAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Farm Finance, Input Procurement & Risk Tools (Budgeting, Inventory, Insurance Links) (AFAAAFAO), Breeding Program Design & Genetic Consulting (Mating Plans, EPD/Index Selection) (AFACAEAD), Livestock Health & Welfare Support Services (Vaccination Clinics, Biosecurity Implementation) (AFACAEAK)

Keywords

• Agricultural market intelligence
• Farm benchmarking tools
• Livestock breeding services
• Nutrient management guidance
• Crop variety trials

Headquarters

HQ city

Kenilworth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Statutory Levy: AHDB is funded through statutory levies paid by farmers and growers in the agriculture and horticulture sectors. The levy funds market intelligence, research, knowledge exchange, exports support, education, and reputation protection services for the industry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AHDB provides market intelligence, applied research, knowledge exchange, and export market development services to UK farmers, growers, and supply-chain businesses across the beef, lamb, pork, dairy, and cereals & oilseeds sectors. Funded by statutory levies, it delivers digital tools for benchmarking, genetic evaluation, nutrient planning and price monitoring, alongside sector data, recommended variety lists, and overseas market support programmes.

Product overview

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) operates as a statutory levy-funded body providing research, data, and market intelligence across the UK agricultural sector. Rather than a single unified product, AHDB offers a portfolio of interconnected sector-specific tools and services organized around four main agricultural sectors: Beef & Lamb, Pork, Dairy, and Cereals & Oilseeds. The core offerings include Farmbench for farm benchmarking, Signet Breeding Services for genetic evaluation, the RB209 Nutrient Management Guide, the Milk Price Calculator, and the Recommended Lists for variety selection. These products are complemented by sector-specific market analysis tools, trade dashboards, price tracking services, and knowledge exchange programs including the Monitor Farm Network. AHDB also provides cross-cutting tools like the Climate Resilience Planners, SFI Cost/Benefit Tool, and the Medicine Hub that serve multiple sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Farmbench Farmbench is a benchmarking tool that lets UK farmers and growers record and compare physical and financial performance against peers across AHDB's sector divisions. It is aimed at levy payers seeking to identify strengths and weaknesses in their businesses.
• Signet Breeding Services Signet Breeding Services delivers genetic evaluation and breeding value information for the UK sheep and beef sectors, helping farmers select animals with superior genetics for productivity and carcase traits.
• Monitor Farm Network The Monitor Farm Network is AHDB's knowledge exchange programme where host farms open their businesses to local farmer groups to share performance data, test ideas and drive productivity improvements.
• RB209 Nutrient Management Guide RB209 is AHDB's reference guide and decision-support resource for crop nutrient management, providing recommendations for fertiliser and organic manure use on arable and grassland crops in the UK.
• Recommended Lists for Cereals and Oilseeds (RL) The Recommended Lists provide independent, trial-based information on the agronomic and market performance of cereal and oilseed varieties for UK growers, agronomists and the supply chain.
• NMPT-GB Nutrient Management Planning Tool NMPT-GB is a GB-wide nutrient management planning tool that allows farmers and advisers to create compliant nutrient plans using AHDB's RB209 recommendations.
• Milk Price Calculator The Milk Price Calculator helps UK dairy farmers and processors monitor and compare milk prices, contract components and scenarios across the major UK milk buyers.
• Medicine Hub Medicine Hub is a centralised data platform for antibiotic usage in UK livestock sectors, supporting antimicrobial stewardship and sector reporting.
• Data Sharing Infrastructure (DSI) The Data Sharing Infrastructure (DSI) is AHDB's industry data platform, integrating agriculture and horticulture data from across the supply chain to support analysis, research and decision-making for levy payers and partners.
• Export Market Development Programmes AHDB's Export Market Development Programmes support UK producers and processors to access and grow sales in priority overseas markets through trade shows, inward and outward missions, and market intelligence.

Quantifiable outcome

• UK meat exports rose 12% to £2bn and dairy exports jumped 17% to £2.2bn in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• HMRCmajorOthers · 24 February 2026AHDB uses HMRC data to report on UK meat and dairy export performance, including figures showing combined exports surpassed £4bn in 2025.
• DefracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Defra partnered with AHDB, RSK ADAS, and RSK Business Solutions to develop the free online NMPT-GB nutrient management planning tool using AHDB Nutrient Management Guide guidance.
• RSK ADASmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 4 February 2026RSK ADAS collaborated with Defra, AHDB, and RSK Business Solutions to develop the NMPT-GB nutrient management planning tool to help farmers match nutrients to crop and soil needs.
• RSK Business SolutionsmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 4 February 2026RSK Business Solutions partnered with Defra, AHDB, and RSK ADAS to develop the NMPT-GB tool using the latest AHDB Nutrient Management Guide guidance.
• ArupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Arup partnered with ODI, WRAP, AHDB, and HESTIA to design, develop, and test new Data Sharing Infrastructure (DSI) and governance for the UK's agri-food supply chain under the Food Infrastructure & Governance (FIG) project, commissioned by Defra and FDTP. The initiative aims to improve environmental impact measurement and accelerate digital innovation through tools such as digital product passports.
• Open Data Institute (ODI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026ODI partnered with Arup, WRAP, AHDB, and HESTIA to design Data Sharing Infrastructure for UK agri-food sector. The initiative aims to reduce administrative burdens on farmers and producers while contributing to UK's net zero ambitions.
• WRAPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026WRAP joined consortium with Arup, ODI, AHDB, and HESTIA to develop Data Sharing Infrastructure and governance for UK agri-food supply chain under the FIG project commissioned by Defra and FDTP.
• HESTIAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026HESTIA partnered with Arup, ODI, WRAP, and AHDB in the FIG project to design and test Data Sharing Infrastructure for UK's agri-food supply chain, aiming to improve environmental impact measurement and accelerate digital innovation.
• DefracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Defra commissioned the Food Infrastructure & Governance (FIG) project and Food Data Transparency Partnership (FDTP) to develop Data Sharing Infrastructure for UK agri-food sector, with AHDB as a key consortium partner.
• DAERAmajorOthersNorthern Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs provides milk price data to AHDB for the UK farmgate milk prices survey covering approximately 90% of UK milk purchases.
• RESASmajorOthersScottish Government's Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services division provides data to AHDB for UK farmgate milk price reporting.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Farmers' Union (NFU): UK farming membership organization representing farmer interests to government. Distinct from AHDB (lobbying vs. levy-funded services), but closely intertwined as a stakeholder in levy policy and a partner in farmer-facing programs.

Direct peers

• Teagasc: Ireland's Agriculture and Food Development Authority, providing research, advisory, and education services to Irish farmers. Comparable to AHDB in advisory/research role across livestock and crops.
• Beef + Lamb New Zealand: New Zealand farmer-funded industry body for sheep and beef producers, providing market intel, research, and farmer extension — a close international parallel to AHDB's Beef & Lamb sector.
• DairyNZ: New Zealand dairy farmer-funded industry body delivering research, farm data, and extension services. Highly comparable to AHDB's dairy market intelligence and farm benchmarking offerings.
• Dairy Australia: Australian statutory levy body for the dairy industry, funded by farmer levies. Direct counterpart to AHDB's Dairy sector in providing market data, industry research, and farm productivity services.
• Bord Bia: Irish state agency promoting Irish food, drink, and horticulture exports. Operates a similar mandate to AHDB across market intelligence, trade development, and sustainability credentials, with significant overlap on dairy and meat data.
• Meat & Livestock Australia: Australian statutory levy-funded R&D and marketing body for the red meat industry. Closest international analog to AHDB's Beef & Lamb sector, using producer levies to fund market intelligence, research, and export development.

Regional players

• Scotland's Rural College (SRUC): Scotland-based land-based research and education institution. Provides advisory and research services overlapping with AHDB, particularly on livestock, soils, and rural economics, but focused on Scotland.

Broad incumbents

• European Commission – DG AGRI: EU policy and market data authority for agriculture across member states. Provides broader market intelligence, trade data, and policy frameworks that overlap with AHDB's reporting — particularly relevant given post-Brexit UK-EU agricultural trade dynamics.
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC): Canadian federal department responsible for agricultural policy, research, and market information. Broader governmental counterpart covering similar functions to AHDB across crops and livestock at national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theahdb
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AHDB01
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheAHDB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agriculture-and-horticulture-development-board

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board