Semi-retirement plan couple want to help young farmer enter industry

Neville Owen has farmed at Ty Newydd, Cefn Coch, near Welshpool, since 1959, when he was just 17.

Now, at 74, he and wife Niki have decided to take semi-retirement, placing 110.8 acres of their farmland and the use of two farm buildings up for let.

But they have specified they want a young farmer or entrant to the industry to have first call and will let the land on a short-term farm business tenancy for 24 months initially, with the opportunity to extend this in the future.

Mr Owen said: "I have farmed here since I was 17 when my parents bought the farm. it has been my life and remains so, but we have decided to take a bit of a step back.

"It is difficult for young people to get into farming, even members of farming families can struggle and so we want to do something to help.

"We have asked the agents to tender part of the farm out, with two farm buildings as well as farm sheep handling and husbandry equipment and the possibility of either leasing or buying up to 300 breeding ewes."

He added: "But we have stipulated that we would like someone entering the industry, such as a young farmer, to have first call.

"It is a chance for them to get on the ladder into an industry that is pretty difficult to start off in nowadays with the price and lack of farms available."

The couple will remain at the farmhouse for the duration and will continue to work the remainder of the farm, but on a lesser scale.

They have some Texel ewes they will continue to breed and are offering 300 Speckle and Welsh Mule breeding ewes for lease or sale as part of the tenancy.

Tom Morris, of agents Morris, Marshall and Poole, said it is an ideal opportunity for someone to break into the industry.

He said: "This is a great opportunity for someone in the early stages of their farming career or just entering farming to get involved.

"Neville and Niki are very passionate about seeing someone young coming into the industry and have a chance and we're marketing the land and buildings for let to young farmers or farming families where maybe there is a son or daughter who wants to take that step into running their own unit."

If a suitable candidate cannot be found to let the land to, the couple will continue to let it to an existing farm needing the land.

Mrs Owen said: "We'll still let the land to a local farm or someone needing such land, but our preference in the first place is to find a young person and give them first option at a chance to run their own farm."

Mr Owen added that he would not be leaving farming and would continue to work on other parts of the farm and will also offer his advice and assistance to anyone taking on the land if they wanted it.

Applications for the short term farm business tenancy can be obtained from the agents by calling (01938) 554818.