This week, the TFA’s Chief Executive, George Dunn, met with Downing Street officials to brief them on important issues for the tenanted sector of agriculture.

The session started with a rundown of the impact of the current hostilities in the Middle East on the cost base of farming businesses from diesel to fertiliser to chemicals and other inputs.  Moving on to the anticipated DEFRA 25-year Farming Roadmap, George pushed for specific recognition of the tenanted sector, including policy goals to improve security of tenure under farm business tenancies, providing a fairer basis for tenant farmers to widen the economic use of the land they rent and greater protection for tenants from the consequences of losing land to development and environmental uses. The discussion also highlighted the problems for common graziers who, without a change of attitude from DEFRA and the Rural Payments Agency, will not have access to the Sustainable Farming Incentive or Countryside Stewardship in England this year. The failings of the Environment Agency and Natural England were also raised.

George said “These regular engagements with the Downing Street team are a vital part of our lobbying, on behalf of our members and the wider tenanted sector. No other organisation can bring the much-needed focus on the tenanted sector like the TFA. It is easy for policymakers to fall into the trap of thinking all farmers are owner occupiers. It is essential to remind them of the legislative, contractual and regulatory complexities that so often arise, in the context of farming through agricultural tenancies and other land use agreements“.