Tenant farmers are set to benefit from greater flexibility
in tenancy law under new plans to modernise legislation and
boost productivity.
The government has today published the response to its
consultation on agricultural tenancy law in
England and confirmed it will amend the
Agricultural Holdings Act (AHA) to make it fit for purpose
in the 21st century. This will enable tenant farmers to be
more productive and have greater freedom in their business
planning.
Amendments include repealing the minimum succession
retirement age of 65 to provide tenants with the
flexibility to decide when it is right for them to retire
and hand over the farm to the next generation.
A new dispute mechanism will also be introduced to enable
AHA tenants to ask to vary restrictions in their tenancy
agreements and make it easier for them to apply for the
future Environmental Land Management scheme.
Farming Minister said,
Agricultural tenancies account for a third of all
farmland in this country, so tackling barriers to
productivity for the tenanted sector is vital for
unlocking the potential of the farming industry as a
whole.
We know that our tenant farmers are some of the most
engaged and innovative in the sector and it is high time
that we modernise outdated legislation so that it is fit
for today’s farmers and their families.
I am pleased that we have already been able to
incorporate some of these proposals into our landmark
Agriculture Bill and look forward to working closely with
industry to continue supporting this vibrant sector.
The government consulted the sector on these changes
2019, when it launched a
12-week consultation on proposals that would remove current
barriers to productivity.
This built on the work of the Tenancy Reform Industry Group
(TRIG), who previously provided government with advice on
key policy priorities for the tenanted sector in the design
of the country’s future agricultural system.
These amendments correspond with proposals receiving broad
support from consultation responses and have been included
within the government’s landmark Agriculture Bill
introduced to Parliament earlier this year.
The government response also sets out next steps for the
proposals, as well as summarising the responses to the call
for evidence.
