Top 5 Reasons Tenants Fear Landlords Entering Agreements: Loss of Land
A recent survey conducted by Defra found that a significant number of tenant farmers are expecting to lose rented land within the next two years. The main reason cited by tenants for surrendering land was landlords entering government agri-environment schemes. In response to this trend, 59% of farmers expect to rent the same amount of land, while 24% are unsure, 13% anticipate a decrease, and only 5% expect an increase.
Of those tenants expecting to lose land, nearly two-thirds reported that landlords were requesting them to surrender rented land before the end of an agreement or not renewing their lease. This has raised concerns about the viability of farm businesses, with 56% of affected tenants expressing worry.
The survey also revealed that the primary reasons for landlords reclaiming land were for government-funded agri-environment schemes (35%) and non-agricultural use like development (32%). Other factors, such as new SSSIs and tax considerations, accounted for 19% of cases. Only 11% of tenants believed landlords were ending tenancies to farm the land themselves, while just 5% thought it was to rent the land to someone else.
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Maria Sanchez completed her Bachelor’s degree in Plant Sciences from the University of California, Davis, in the USA. Her studies focused on plant genetics and biotechnology, with an emphasis on developing disease-resistant crop varieties. Maria has contributed to several research projects aimed at improving crop resilience to climate change and is now pursuing her Master’s degree in Plant Breeding.