Responding to the appointment of Alan Laidlaw as the new Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector in England, NFU Deputy President David Exwood said:
“Congratulations to Alan on his appointment to a role which was a key recommendation within the Rock Review and will be crucial for improving fairness and collaboration across the agricultural tenancy sector.
“We met up yesterday on farm and, as a tenant farmer myself, I was able to lay out the stark realities of being a tenant farmer in the current climate. Extreme weather, price volatility, the family farm tax and uncertainty around future environmental schemes, particularly for those in the uplands, has left many tenants feeling vulnerable and low in confidence.
“These factors are making it extremely difficult for tenant farmers to plan, invest and maintain business viability, leading to frustration and a desire for more support and clarity from government.
“The NFU believes the Commissioner’s role must be fiercely independent and without bias to landlords or tenants, working alongside the Code of Practice and the Farm Tenancy Forum with clear guidelines in place to define exactly what can or cannot be done and at what stage to become involved in disputes. These are the clear tests on whether this appointment will be deemed a success.
“We look forward to working with Alan to ensure we have a resilient and fair tenanted sector in England, where tenant farmers are producing food, while driving economic growth and delivering the government’s environmental ambitions.”
