Farmers, policymakers and industry leaders have been brought together by the NFU to discuss how to make the tenanted sector a powerhouse of growth and productivity.
Delegates at the NFU Tenants Conference heard from high-profile speakers including recently appointed Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector, Alan Laidlaw, who outlined his role as being one of engaging with and influencing the sector and being solution-driven, as well as developing a case handling process.
During the afternoon session, three NFU tenant farmer members, Sam Bailey who farms in Staffordshire, Andrew Baxter from Worcestershire and Monmouthshire farmer Gary Yeomans, shared their experiences of overcoming the challenges they have faced in the sector and discussed ways of adapting and innovating farming businesses.
NFU Deputy President David Exwood, who chaired the conference, said: “The nation’s tenant farmers are some of the most dynamic and progressive farmers I know, playing a vital role in producing food, caring for our precious landscapes, helping to grow the economy and being at the heart of our rural communities.
“But it has been another challenging year, as it has been for all farmers, with extreme weather, price volatility, inheritance tax changes and uncertainty around the future of environmental schemes, particularly for those in the uplands, leaving many vulnerable and low in confidence.
“This conference was all about hearing from policymakers, legal and tenancy experts, industry leaders and farmers themselves about what’s needed to unlock the potential of tenant farming businesses to help make them grow.
“It’s clear that for the sector to succeed, Commissioner Laidlaw must remain fiercely independent, listen to tenant farmers and ensure we are fully consulted, help strengthen relationships between farmers and landowners and encourage responsible behaviour on all sides.
“We must also work hard to ensure new entrants, who find it difficult to break into the industry, are able to get onto the farming ladder with improved tenancy agreements, better access to finance and fit for purpose networks of county farms.
“Above all, we need policies that will help build resilience, profitability and productivity in the tenanted sector and allow farmers to invest. This will ensure we can continue producing sustainable climate-friendly food, while driving economic growth and delivering the government’s environmental ambitions.”
