Scotland's Tenant Farming Commissioner, Bob McIntosh, is calling on landlords and tenants of agricultural holdings to carefully consider the impact of Brexit where a rent review is due.
Mr McIntosh said: "Consideration of the prevailing economic conditions in the agriculture sector is an important component of rent review discussions.
"Rent reviews initiated this year will fix rents until 2021 and that period will overlap with the UK's planned withdrawal from the European Union. Given the uncertainty over the impact of Brexit on agricultural commodity prices and, possibly, the level of support payments, there is a risk that rents fixed now may turn out to be significantly out-of-kilter with the marketplace within two years.
"While rent reviews provide a good opportunity for landlords and tenants to meet to discuss current issues, there are good reasons to consider whether this is the right time to make changes unless there are pressing reasons for doing so."
Scottish Tenant Farmers Association (STFA) Chairman, Christopher Nicholson, said: "This is a welcome and sensible proposal from the Tenant Farming Commissioner. STFA have been advising tenants to factor Brezit risks into rent reviews, in particular the prospect of falling support payments and commodity market uncertainty which make rent increases difficult to justify. Any tenant who feels they are being pushed to agree to an unfair rent rise should refer the matter to the Commissioner."
* Meanwhile, NFU Scotland is reminding those looking to meet Greening requirements to include the maps of their Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) with their Single Application Forms (SAF), or risk significant disallowances.
NFUS Combinable Crops Policy Manager Peter Logie said: "We can't stress enough to those applying for Greening the importance of including a map of your EFA with the application. That map is considered a "supporting document" which must be submitted by the annual 15 May deadline.
"If the EFA map is missing, the result can be a total loss of the whole Greening element because it is deemed that the application for Greening has not been made on time.
"In addition, from this year, a penalty on top of that can be applied, even if all EFA rules have been complied with fully on the ground."
Market round-up
Lawrie & Symington Ltd sold 722 store heifers in Lanark on Tuesday to a top of £1180 per head and 307.5p per kg to average £841.72 and 227.3p, while 950 store, beef-bred bullocks peaked at £1270 and 284.4p to level at £925.09 and 230.4p. One-hundred-and-twenty-four store, dairy-bred bullocks sold to £970 and 238.7p to average £706.07 and 161.4p.
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