The Welsh government has been called on to establish a new tenant working group to ensure the proposed agricultural policy works for the full range of tenancy and rental agreements in Wales.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Cymru (Wales) made the call following the NFU Cymru Tenants’ Seminar held last week (Thursday, February 10).

NFU Cymru president Aled Jones said:

“A group to explore the specific issues across the full range of tenancy and rental agreements that we have here in Wales to inform the development of future policy should be a key priority for Welsh government.

“It is vital that the SFS (Sustainable Farming Scheme) offers equality of access and opportunity to all farmers in Wales,” he continued.

“With up to 30% of land farmed in Wales through formal and informal tenant agreements, there is a need to design future agricultural policy around the broad range of land tenure that exists in Wales, including tenancy and rental agreements, so that farmers are not left behind in Welsh government farm policy reforms. 

“It is important to recognise that many tenants are on short-term Farm Business Tenancies and lets and Welsh government’s proposals represent a significant shift from having management control of land on the May 15, to be eligible for the BPS (Basic Payment Scheme), as they do currently,” Jones added.

“We remain highly concerned that some farmers may not be able to demonstrate sufficient management control of the land they farm to secure contracts for future support and may lose out. 

“NFU Cymru has long been clear future support should be targeted at the active farmer – the person who takes the business risk associated with food production. It is the person who farms the land that should secure future support payments.”

NFU CYMRU