A LONG-AWAITED report on reforming the rules for tenant farmers could boost business for many on rented land.

Tenant Farmers Association chairman Reg Haydon has described the Tenancy Reform Industry Group report as a great leap forwards for the tenanted sector, but the industry must now wait to see if the Government will back its recommendations.

Seven months in the making, the report by representatives of the TFA, the Country Landowners’ Association, National Farmers’ Union, Young Farmers Clubs and others, contains key measures called for by the industry to help the tenanted sector.

Key among the recommendations is the call for Government to make it easier to diversify tenanted farm businesses after a recent survey by the TFA suggested that more than half of all landlords were negative about tenant’s diversification plans.

Mr Haydon said: “The TFA has been concerned for some time that tenants are at a disadvantage compared to owner-occupiers when considering enterprises of a non-agricultural nature. We back the report’s recommendation for a code of practice since it includes the need for a ministerial commitment to consider introducing legislation to improve tenants’ position if the code of practice does not produce an improvement.” The report also calls upon the Government to investigate setting up a retirement scheme for tenant farmers and to help young farmers get started with a ‘help new entrants’ scheme. Such schemes currently exist in other EU countries, but not in Britain.

Department for Rural Affairs officials will scrutinise the measures before the Government makes up its mind on whether or not to back them.

The full TRIG report can be accessed via www.tenant-farmers.org.uk