Warwickshire News Mine

Warwickshire County Council has been lobbying the Government for the introduction of measures to help new farmers scale up to privately let, medium-sized farms.

This week Cllr Alan Cockburn, the county council’s Portfolio Holder for Environment and Economy, spoke at a farming seminar hosted by the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) about concerns that farmers are being prevented from making the next step from smallholdings to larger farms because they are not being let on the open market.

In his keynote speech, Cllr Cockburn told delegates that 75 per cent of tenants on estate farms are over 50 years of age, mainly due to the shortage of available farms to let since the early 1970s.

“Our strategy has returned us to our original aims of providing starter farms for new entrants for farming,” Cllr Cockburn

“Every successful industry needs new blood to be able stay vibrant and with energy to evolve and adapt to the new challenges which are continually arising. County Council smallholdings can play its part in making this happen.”

Cllr Cockburn previously wrote to Caroline Spelman MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ask for suitable industry incentives, and has also petitioned Defra Minister Jim Paice MP and farming industry expert Sir Donald Curry.

While other local authorities are selling off farm estates, Warwickshire County Council is determined to retain and enhance its smallholdings portfolio. Warwickshire’s county farms continue to provide what are increasingly rare opportunities for new entrants into the industry.

The county council has adopted a new strategy for county farms and smallholdings which at its heart contains a commitment to make a major contribution to local food and farming by supporting existing tenants and providing opportunities for new entrants into agriculture.

Martin Stott, Warwickshire County Council’s Head of Environment and Resources, also attended the London seminar which was attended by Sir Donald Curry and Dennis Chamberlain MBE, chairman of the Fresh Start initiative and chief executive of RASE.

He added: “It was a hugely beneficial event in terms of pushing forward the agenda to help farmers go further up the ladder and encouraging new entrants to the industry.

“Delegates described Warwickshire as a catalyst for making this happen and we are now looking for the Government to respond to the needs of farmers.”

Warwickshire’s county farms and smallholdings estate provides opportunities for careers in agriculture and rural enterprise. The estate can also contribute to ‘community growing’ by the provision of new allotments, horticultural strips and opportunities for community farms.

Link to WCC