Shortage of farmland to let
A freelance Shropshire-based rural business/estate management adviser is struggling to find agricultural holdings and land to let to new business entrants.
A freelance Shropshire-based rural business/estate management adviser is struggling to find agricultural holdings and land to let to new business entrants.
Amanda Harris-Lea says: "I have been looking for a suitable farm to let for these particular clients for a number of months, with no success."
As with anything, the long-term sustainability of agriculture is solely dependent on attracting new entrants with new skills and ideas to the industry. With the purchase price of land rapidly increasing the only remaining option for less affluent new entrants is to rent.
Today's modern agricultural industry is fast becoming the playground of a new breed of farmer, the "rural entrepreneur".
The rural entrepreneur is a person who can produce crops efficiently, market produce to gain the best income, diversify into other agricultural income streams, while making use of grants to further develop the farm's income streams.
The one thing these rural entrepreneurs lack for all their business acumen is serious farming experience, that can only be gained from 30, 40, 50-years-plus in the industry.
This is where Amanda feels that a valuable link can be made.
"Working together with neighbouring farmers or entering into a collaborative enterprise with new entrants to the industry may be the way forward to facilitation of a secure future for some mature farm businesses.
"I would like to facilitate the link between the farmer/landlord and high-motivated new entrants into the farming industry."
Like any skill, its continued success is nurturing at the grass routes. Getting into farming and being involved in your own farm business is relatively simple for farmers' sons and daughters.
With land prices as they are at present purchasing farms for new business start-ups is becoming unachievable for the average person looking to start out in farming.
The next step is to look at tendering for a farm unit. Farms to let are becoming increasingly rare with each farm that is advertised to let regularly receiving up to 100 tenders. Many farms never needing to be advertised to let.
This is why Amanda is encouraging farmers to think about their farms' future. Their are numerous skilled people within the local agricultural sector desperate to get involved in farming. On balance I am sure there are many mature farmers who would ideally like to downscale.
"Surely, if both parties joined forces the future of these maturing agricultural holdings could be secured, with an influx of young blood and the guiding hand of experience.'"
* For more information please contact Amanda Harris-Lea on 07970 570 137.
