Call for land to address career ladder crisis

Major landowners are being urged to provide land for young farmers in a bid to address the crisis in the industry’s career ladder.

Launched by the Fresh Start Initiative with the support of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, the campaign aims to attract young entrepreneurs into farming by offering land to use to develop their own businesses.

But it said it needed more landlords and retiring tenant farmers to offer land to young farmers if the traditional route into the industry for new entrants was not going to be permanently broken.

“If you are entering agriculture from a non-farming background then getting on the tenancy ladder can be a great way to start your business,” said Denis Chamberlain, chairman of Fresh Start.

“However, not enough new entrants are coming in and they get blocked by the current system.”

Mr Chamberlain said a seminar in London next month would bring together landlords and estate managers to discuss ways to help young people into the industry and fill the gap left by those retiring.

“The seminar will ask landowners to think about the structure of their estates and how they might identify farms, which may be second farms on their estates, that beginners could use to move through the system.”

The seminar – which is by invitation only – is being held in London on Wednesday, 30 March.  Places are still available and those wishing to attend should contact Alison Rickett at Fresh Start on 01223 291 215 or alison.rickett@googlemail.com