Dithering landlords unsure on SFP

SPECIALIST GROWERS who need to make cropping decisions are being hamstrung by landlords‘ indecision and a lack of guidance on single farm payments.

Francis Mordaunt, of farm business consultant Andersons, said specialist vegetable and potato growers who relied on rented land were being hit hard.

“They can‘t get their hands on the land. At the moment it is getting pretty desperate, some of them have contracts to fulfil with major supermarkets.”

Landowners were reluctant to rent out their land as they feared this would jeopardise their SFP because claimants in 2005 must have the land at their disposal for 10 months.

But Julie Robinson, of solicitor Roythorne & Co, said some solutions were emerging which she believed would be acceptable to DEFRA.

“There are two models that allow landowners to have people on their land, whether they are grazing animals or growing crops.

“The first is a simplified contracting agreement where the landowner supplies the crop but contracts the grower to grow it.” 

Landowner and grower would agree who was responsible for doing what and a final invoice would ensure landowners got the equivalent of their usual rent, said Ms Robinson.

But some growers would be unable to give away ownership of their crops, for example co-op members or those with loans guaranteed against the crop, she added.

They might prefer a general licence that allowed the landowner to stay in occupation to satisfy good agricultural and environmental conditions, while they cropped the land.