Tenant farmers are being urged to complete a survey being sent to them by the Scottish Government.
Responses will be used in the impending review of agricultural holdings legislation which includes proposals to give secure tenants an absolute right to buy their farms. A separate questionnaire will be sent to landlords soon.
A new map showing the distribution of tenant farms in Scotland was published yesterday. Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said the map marked the start of a process in which the government wanted to build up a much more detailed picture of the issues facing the sector and those working in it. He added: “The surveys being carried out on our behalf have been developed in collaboration with the Tenant Farming Forum and asks important questions about people’s experiences of farming and views on the future of the tenanted agriculture sector.
“To get the best from our land and the people farming it, we need a vibrant tenant farming sector and so I urge everyone who is asked to take part in these surveys to take full advantage of this unique opportunity to make their voice heard. All responses will be treated in the strictest confidence.”
Scottish Tenant Farmers Association chairman Christopher Nicholson said the survey was a rare opportunity to secure a much more accurate picture of tenant farming as statistics have traditionally been woefully inadequate. “STFA cannot overemphasise the importance of this opportunity to address the steadily declining and blighted sector. Family farms are the backbone of rural communities but reform is now essential to reinvigorate the Scottish rural economy in which tenants play such an integral role. “The ball is now in our court to respond to this survey and play our part in shaping a brighter and better future for ourselves and the next generation entering Scottish agriculture.”
NFU Scotland president Nigel Miller said the survey was the first part in the review process jigsaw. Tenants needed to express their views, good and bad. “The remit of the review group is to examine if we have the appropriate legislation to deliver a tenanted sector that’s fit for purpose or if changes are required to improve existing tenancy agreements, such as changes to the rent review process and waygo.” “
Scottish Land and Estates chief executive Douglas McAdam added: “It is essential that the review is given comprehensive, accurate and factual information from across the sector and is not placed in a position of taking extremely important decisions based on only polarised input from vested interests on any side. This review is a crossroads for the industry and it is in the best interests of Scottish farming that the foundations for the future are rooted in sound facts and evidence from right across the mainstream sector.”