Kent: Land of contract opportunity

A contract farming agreement on just over 364 ha (900 acres) of free draining grade 2 land in Kent is a rare opportunity.

Plumpton Farm and Joe Farm are neighbours and make up a large part of the 2,700-acre Mersham Hatch Estate at Brabourne near Ashford.

The estate has been owned by the Knatchbull family since 1486 and most of the remainder of the land is let to a dairy farm on a long-term Farm Business Tenancy.

The structure of the agreement is being left wide open to see what the market comes up with, said Nigel Porter of Strutt & Parker. A high level of service and a good working relationship were crucial to the success of the agreement.

“We don’t want to be too prescriptive and so we are not setting a first charge. The best financial return will be important but it’s going to be a very close working relationship between the contractor and estate and that’s very important too,” said Mr Porter.

The arable land lies at the foot of the North Downs in one block, with most field sizes between 30 and 40 acres but ranging up to 113 acres. Soil types include Denchworth series, Jurassic loam and Cretaceous clay.

The new contract will be for an initial term of three years with a view to a long-term arrangement, said Mr Porter. The land comes available as a result of a strategy review on expiry of the current agreement in October 2012.

“We are expecting significant interest both from large Kent farmers as well as farming businesses from outside the county. We are seeking a contractor who is able to offer a high level of service.”

Grain storage for the land is at Joe Farm, with 800 to 900t capacity in a general purpose store and 14 serviceable bins each holding 100t. General purpose machinery buildings and a workshop are also included. The land is currently in combinable crops with a small acreage of potatoes. (Strutt & Parker 01227 473 711)