Oct 20 2014
STFA OPEN DAY PROVIDES TEST BED FOR TENANCY REFORMS
STFA OPEN DAY PROVIDES TEST BED FOR TENANCY REFORMS
Tenancy reform will be the focus of an open day to be held next week (Thursday 23rd Oct) on an Aberdeenshire farm where tenant farmers will have the chance to put the Agricultural Holdings Legislation Group’s (AHLRG) latest thinking to the test. The review group have been conducting exhaustive research into the operation of tenanted sector and are now sharing their ideas with the industry in a series of meetings before finalising their report, due in December. Well known tenancy expert, Hamish Lean, and other members of the Group will also be attending.
The open day is to be held on Craskins Farm near Aboyne, a 700 mixed unit tenanted by the Ross family. The land is rented from the MacRobert Trust and is made up of 1991 tenancies, a Limited Duration Tenancy and seasonal grazings. Farming enterprises include beef cows, sheep and malting barley with all progeny finished at home.
The mix of land holdings and the range of fixed equipment provided by landlord and tenant will provide an ideal practical test bed for the Review Group’s proposals. Rent reviews, are due for a shake up as the AHLRG seek to base rent setting on the productive capacity of the farm rather than on the open market – an approach tenant farmers have been advocating for well over a decade. The open day will provide an opportunity to examine how a new production based rent system might work on the ground using practical examples.
Other topics up for discussion will be tenants’ improvements, succession and assignation of tenancies and the creation of opportunities for new entrants to the industry. The meeting is open to members of STFA and non-members are welcome to join on the day and should register beforehand.
Notes for Editors:
The open day is to be held at at Craskins Farm Tarland, Aboyne Aberdeenshire AB34 4TJ
(By kind permission of the Ross Family)
Thursday 23rd October 2014
Registration at 11.00am
To book contact STFA : stfa@tfascotland.org.uk
Tel: 0140863 3275 or 07767756840
Members of the Ag. Holdings Review Group will be in attendance