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11/05/2011 10:56:52
Long way to go before a 'sustainable farming ladder'
The Tenant Farmers Association’s National Chairman, Jeremy Walker will today tell the AGM of the RABI that we are still some way off from having a sustainable farming ladder in British agriculture.
The TFA’s 2020 Vision for Agriculture, produced last year, set a goal that by 2020 adequate attention needed to be given to ensure the farming ladder was operating effectively with opportunities for entry, development and retirement with dignity.
"As a first generation farmer myself I know how much of a struggle it is to get a start in farming. For that reason I am passionate about ensuring that we have viable opportunities for young people to enter our industry. I never cease to be amazed at the number of young people who come on to TFA stands at shows and events asking how they can find a farm and it is heartbreaking when I know that the number of opportunities available are so few", said Mr Walker.
"County Council smallholdings are vital for continuity of access into the industry and for the maintenance of a proper functioning farming ladder. Pressure on local government finances has caused a number of local authorities to consider disposing of a significant number of their farms. We continue to work hard to convince local authorities with county farms estates to retain and manage them better. We also believe that there is a role for central Government to intervene when local authorities consider potential sales which may not achieve best value for the industry or council tax payers," said Mr Walker.
However, it is not only about ensuring that there are viable entry points but also to ensure that there are dignified exit points for older farmers and a reasonable structure of tenancies available for individuals to be able to build long-term businesses. Short term farm business tenancies which have become the norm do not provide a sustainable future for the tenanted sector. We need to see significant change in this regard and the TFA is discussing with Government how we might use the taxation framework within which land management decisions are made to achieve this.
"Housing will always be a big issue and we applaud the work of farming charities like RABI, ARC Addington and Farm Crisis Network which work hard to find options to allow individuals to leave farms with dignity. However, inevitably they can only scratch the surface of the problem. The Government should consider a number of measures including tax incentives for landlords who provide accommodation to retiring tenants in the private sector, ensuring that landlords retain more of the nomination rights for affordable housing built on exception sites and stiffer enforcement of existing agricultural restrictions on dwellings," said Mr Walker.
The TFA’s 2020 Vision for Agriculture, produced last year, set a goal that by 2020 adequate attention needed to be given to ensure the farming ladder was operating effectively with opportunities for entry, development and retirement with dignity.
"As a first generation farmer myself I know how much of a struggle it is to get a start in farming. For that reason I am passionate about ensuring that we have viable opportunities for young people to enter our industry. I never cease to be amazed at the number of young people who come on to TFA stands at shows and events asking how they can find a farm and it is heartbreaking when I know that the number of opportunities available are so few", said Mr Walker.
"County Council smallholdings are vital for continuity of access into the industry and for the maintenance of a proper functioning farming ladder. Pressure on local government finances has caused a number of local authorities to consider disposing of a significant number of their farms. We continue to work hard to convince local authorities with county farms estates to retain and manage them better. We also believe that there is a role for central Government to intervene when local authorities consider potential sales which may not achieve best value for the industry or council tax payers," said Mr Walker.
However, it is not only about ensuring that there are viable entry points but also to ensure that there are dignified exit points for older farmers and a reasonable structure of tenancies available for individuals to be able to build long-term businesses. Short term farm business tenancies which have become the norm do not provide a sustainable future for the tenanted sector. We need to see significant change in this regard and the TFA is discussing with Government how we might use the taxation framework within which land management decisions are made to achieve this.
"Housing will always be a big issue and we applaud the work of farming charities like RABI, ARC Addington and Farm Crisis Network which work hard to find options to allow individuals to leave farms with dignity. However, inevitably they can only scratch the surface of the problem. The Government should consider a number of measures including tax incentives for landlords who provide accommodation to retiring tenants in the private sector, ensuring that landlords retain more of the nomination rights for affordable housing built on exception sites and stiffer enforcement of existing agricultural restrictions on dwellings," said Mr Walker.
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