The TFA has told DEFRA that the anticipated 25-year Farming Roadmap must address specific issues for the tenanted sector of agriculture.  In a meeting with DEFRA Secretary of State (SOS), Rt Hon Emma Reynolds MP, the TFA’s Chief Executive, George Dunn, highlighted three areas which the Roadmap must cover.

The first is how to significantly improve security of tenure for the half, and growing proportion of the tenanted sector reliant upon Farm Business Tenancies where the average length of term is just over three years and 80% of all new tenancies are let for five years or less.

The second was to provide agricultural tenants with the ability to object to restrictive clauses within their tenancy agreements preventing them from taking up reasonable opportunities for diversification, or to make investments that will improve the efficiency of their farm businesses, or environmental performance.

The third was to improve the terms for compensation for tenant farmers who lose land due to change of use obtained by their landlords.  George Dunn said “The Secretary of State understood the TFA’s concerns completely and I was pleased that she was engaged in finding solutions with a willingness to work with the TFA to look for ways forward on the challenges presented. I was able to provide her with the TFA’s view of the solutions the Government could implement, and we will be working with her and her officials in developing those ideas over the coming weeks and months.”