Fell farms ‘unviable’ under SFP
MANY Lake District hill farms will become unviable by 2012 unless steps are taken to redress the impact of de-coupling and the single farm payment – that’s the stark message expected from the National Trust next week.
The trust will unveil a report on an in-depth review of the future of its 98 hill farms throughout the UK.
Sources within the organisation have already described the prospects for the Lake District farms as “catastrophic”.
The survey was undertaken following outrage among Lake District tenant farmers when High Yewdale Farm – one of the trust’s flagship holdings – was amalgamated with another farm and the house and buildings let to a non-farming tenant.
Next week’s announcement will confirm the dire financial prospects for fell farms following detailed analysis of the economics of these holdings under the single farm payment regime.
The survey is expected to show the financial implications for three types of fell farm – those with their own fell rights, those with common rights and those with no fell rights.
Farms with their own fell rights are believed to be the only businesses that may survive.
Although the results have already been revealed to the Cumberland Upland Management Group, those privy to the findings were remaining tight-lipped until the trust makes a formal announcement in London next week (July 5).
The underlying trend of negative gross margins, the rapid exodus of young people and skills from the Lake District and the lack of expertise and labour to maintain the upland environment will be key issues highlighted in the report.
But Lake District farmers contacted by FARMERS WEEKLY were relieved that the trust was now making an effort to address the impending crisis and believed a rigorous debate on the future of fell farming was needed.
A source within the trust said the organisation wanted to work closely with government and other bodies to explore ways of re-establishing a viable financial framework for Lake District agriculture and its environment.