The Rock Review was undertaken to investigate how tenant farmers could be better supported to ensure a resilient agricultural tenanted sector for the future.
In his letter, David highlighted how crucial tenant farmers are to securing food security and environmental targets, and cites the NFU's strong support for agricultural tenants to have full access to Defra's agricultural transition measures.
Real areas of concern
In his letter, David said the review鈥檚 recommendations pinpointed 鈥渞eal areas of concern that if not addressed by government in the near term, will see tenant farmers severely disadvantaged in terms of access to government schemes, preserving and growing their businesses鈥�.
Without a change in the government鈥檚 approach to the tenanted sector 鈥渢he government will not be able to deliver on its vision for a robust, vibrant, and thriving agricultural tenanted sector for the future,鈥� David warned.
鈥淭enant farmers are crucial to securing the food security and environmental outcomes we all want to see.鈥�
NFU Vice President David Exwood
Read the recommendations:
Equal opportunity
David set out the NFU鈥檚 position on the nature of tenancy agreements, expressing the NFU鈥檚 agreement that Defra鈥檚 focus should be on 鈥渆ligibility and flexibility鈥�.
Allowing more flexibility would be a simple way to remove barriers for entry to the sector and encourage greater participation, David explains.
While David emphasised that 鈥渃ollaboration is key鈥� between tenants and landlords, he warned that 鈥淒efra must not rely on this as the only solution to the problems that the sector is now facing鈥�.
David also addressed legislative reform and the current obstacles to how tree planting and agroforestry is managed.
A holistic approach
David concludes his letter by encouraging government to implement the recommendations put forward by the Rock Review: 鈥淭he Rock Review and the Report is an exceptionally important piece of work. It has been consulted on and considered widely across the NFU and with our members.
鈥淚t provides a clear case to policy makers to recognise and include the tenanted sector in policy development by integrating these recommendations and considering how they should be implemented not only for the good of tenant farmers, but for the farming industry as a whole. Only then will we achieve a truly holistic approach that supports the long-term resilience of the sector and delivers on food production and environmental goals.鈥�
Read the letter in full: NFU Vice President David Exwood writes to the Farming Minister in response to the Rock Review.
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