It’s hard to step on to the farming ladder

FARMING is still too difficult a profession to get into, with the country still some way off having a sustainable farming ladder, one of the country’s top farming leaders has warned.

The Tenant Farmers’ Association national chairman, Jeremy Walker, this week said that more adequate attention needed to be given to ensure the farming ladder was operating effectively with opportunities for entry, development and retirement with dignity.

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Speaking at the AGM of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute (RABI), Mr Walker said: “As a first generation farmer myself I know how much of a struggle it is to get a start in farming. For that reason I am passionate about ensuring that we have viable opportunities for young people to enter our industry.

“I never cease to be amazed at the number of young people who come on to TFA stands at shows and events asking how they can find a farm and it is heartbreaking when I know that the number of opportunities available are so few.”

The TFA has been actively campaigning for county councils not to sell off publicly owned holdings in the face of central Government spending cuts.

Mr Walker said: “County council smallholdings are vital for continuity of access into the industry and for the maintenance of a proper functioning farming ladder.

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“Pressure on local government finances has caused a number of local authorities to consider disposing of a significant number of their farms.

“We continue to work hard to convince local authorities with county farm estates to retain and manage them better. We also believe that there is a role for central Government to intervene when local authorities consider potential sales which may not achieve best value for the industry or council taxpayers.”

He added short-term farm business tenancies, which have become the norm in recent years, do not provide a sustainable future for the tenanted sector.

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