Future for tenant farmers highlighted at Shropshire conference

The future of tenant farming will be highlighted on Thursday in Shropshire at a conference organised by the NFU.

The National Tenant Farmers' Conference 2011, at Harper Adams University, will look at national issues as well as opportunities to invest and grow businesses. The tenanted sector is an important, dynamic and productive part of British agriculture, and the focus for this year's event is 'The Future of the Tenanted Sector'.

NFU Deputy President Meurig Raymond will chair the conference, on November 10, which has attracted some of the industry's leading figures including Jim Paice, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food and Duchy of Cornwall Chief Executive Bertie Ross. They will be joined by TRIG Chairman Julian Sayers, Strutt & Parker partner Will Gemill, Gareth Barlow, a young tenant farmer from North Yorkshire, and NFU President Peter Kendall.

NFU rural surveyor Louise Staples said: "The NFU represents more than 27,000 tenant farmers and is deeply committed to the sector, offering an unrivalled level of service to its members. This conference will try and help shape the future of the tenanted sector – a sector that is a vital driver for growth in productive agriculture in the years ahead.

"We need to make it easier for existing tenants to grow their businesses and also for new entrants to start farming land which they do not own. For many ambitious, young farmers a tenancy is their only opportunity to enter into the industry."