Securing a future for tenant farmers
18 November 2009
Securing a future for tenant farmers
will be top of the agenda when the NFU hosts its 2009 National Tenant Farmers' Conference at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire.
Farmland in England and Wales is not all owned by farmers, approximately one third of agricultural land is managed by 45,000 tenant farmers, who play an essential role in food production - from dairying and livestock to cereals and soft fruit.
NFU Rural Surveyor, Robert Sheasby said: "The tenanted sector has a number of burning issues in need of resolution. For farmers to make long-term business decisions and invest in their businesses many tenancies are simply too short. In rural areas there is a lack of affordable housing and therefore older tenants are reluctant to give up their tenancies. The knock on effect is a shortfall in the supply of tenant farms.
"The National Tenant Farmers' Conference will highlight key issues effecting tenant farmers which will form the basis of our future lobbying."
