Farmers here in North Northumberland are at the heart of our rural economy, including tenant farmers, which this Government fully supports, not least given the essential role they play as a route into farming.
Their voices must be heard, which is why, following the comprehensive review of tenanted farming chaired by Baroness Rock, the Government made some key announcements this week:
- creating a new farm tenancy forum to put a more formal engagement and feedback structure in place between Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the tenanted sector – this will embed tenant farmers further in policymaking, improve communication with the tenanted sector and help make Government schemes as accessible as possible
- developing a new RICS and industry-led code of practice on expected standards of socially responsible behaviour for all parties involved in agricultural tenancy agreements
- launching a call for evidence this summer on a proposed ‘tenant farming commissioner’ or ombudsman
These are positive steps, building on previous work, such as making it easier for tenants to participate in the sustainable farming incentive by offering 3-year agreements, making all productivity grants accessible to tenant farmers, including the £168m of investment launching across 2023, and around half of the 22 long-term, high-ambition landscape recovery projects selected in the first round involving tenants working with other farmers and land managers.
You can read further at: https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2023/05/24/supporting-tenant-farmers-o…
The Government's full response to the Rock Review is at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rock-review-on-agricultural-…
