Nov 8 2013
STFA WELCOMES START OF TENANCY REVIEW
STFA WELCOMES START OF TENANCY REVIEW
The Scottish Tenant Farmers Association welcomes today’s statement by the Cabinet Secretary announcing the members of the expert group which will assist him in his review of agricultural Holdings, the group’s remit and the timescale of the reviews.
The review – led by Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead – aims to determine what policy and legislative changes may be required to deliver a sustainable Scottish tenant farming sector that is dynamic, gets the best from the land and the people farming it and provides opportunities for new entrants.
The review groups members include: Hamish Lean, specialist in agricultural law;
Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw QC; Barbara Brown, Principal Clerk of the Scottish Land Court; Andrew Thin, Chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage, Board Member of Children’s Hearings Scotland and a Non-Executive Director in the Scottish Government; Professor Jeff Maxwell OBE, former Chairman of the Tenant Farming Forum; and Iain Mackay, new entrant farmers from Mull.
STFA Chairman Christopher Nicholson commented; “Tenant farmers across Scotland will be pleased that there are signs that this long awaited review of tenancy legislation is about to start. STFA has just concluded its autumn round of meetings listening to tenant members’ views and experiences. Frustration and deep concern is apparent in every part of Scotland and there is an overwhelming conviction that reform is essential if Scotland is to get the best from the land and the people farming it.
“I am pleased that Richard Lochhead has chosen to lead and direct this review and we all that hope ministerial leadership will produce policy initiatives rather than the often anodyne and disappointing recommendations produced by previous review groups. There is a dire need to reverse the shrinkage of tenanted land and breathe new life into a sector which is hamstrung by a lack of investment and opportunity and tenant farmers must be allowed to realise their potential.
“We will be encouraging all tenant farmers to take part in the review process and make the most of this chance to bring about the reforms that are so desperately needed to drive the sector forward.”