A CALL for evidence on tenant farming in Scotland has been issued by a recently appointed review group.
At last year’s Royal Highland Show Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead flagged up his intention to set up a review of Agricultural Holdings legislation and also said he intended to chair the group.
It was to develop recommendations for the future of the tenanted sector and controversially Absolute Right To Buy (ARTB) was to be back on the agenda but only for traditional secure tenancies
The review was also to consider ways of increasing the number of tenancies and the opportunities for tenant farmers and new entrants to gain access to tenanted agricultural land.
The group has now met several times and yesterday’s call for evidence marks a move forward .
The members of the Agricultural Holdings Review Group include agricultural law expert Sir Crispin Agnew QC; Professor Jeff Maxwell, a former chairman of the Tenant Farming Forum; Barbara Brown, secretary to the Land Court; Iain Mackay, a new entrant and tenant farmer from Mull; Hamish Lean, a specialist in agricultural law and landowner Andrew Thin.
The opportunity to provide evidence is open to all, either as individuals or representatives of organisations and is in addition to the surveys being undertaken on the group’s behalf by Scottish Government.
Mr Lochhead said yesterday: “To get the best from our land and the people farming it, we need a vibrant tenant farming sector and we need to be clear about what that would look like.
“The review group has now set out its vision for tenant farming in Scotland, which has eight specific characteristics.
“We’re looking at a range of issues from increasing the number of tenancies and opportunities for tenant farmers and new entrants, as well as the absolute right to buy for traditional secure 1991 agricultural tenancies.
“As well as asking for feedback on our vision, we are also seeking views on how the current situation falls short of our aspirations as this will enable us to identify action that the Scottish Government could potentially take.
“We are keen to hear from as many people as possible about their experiences in this field.”
An NFU Scotland spokesman said: “We welcome the opportunity to give evidence.
“As a union, we recognise that it is hugely important to Scottish agriculture that we have a tenanted sector that works for existing tenants and landlords, while also ensuring there are opportunities for new and expanding businesses to rent land.
“The remit of the review group is to examine if we have the appropriate legislation to deliver a tenanted sector that’s fit for purpose or if changes are required to improve existing tenancy agreements, such as changes to the rent review process.
“At the end of the process, we need a legislative framework that encourages the owners of land to rent while providing security to the tenant, allowing them to invest in their business.”
Scottish Tenant Farmers Association chairman Christopher Nicholson added: “Policy making decisions emerging from this review will have far-reaching consequences for the next few generations of tenant farmers and it is vitally important the government gets it right.
“The review group’s vision of the future shape of tenant farming is a useful starting point for what will be a long journey.”
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