The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) has fully endorsed the Farm Profitability Review authored by Baroness Minette Batters and published today by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Baroness Batters delivered her report to DEFRA Secretary of State, RT Emma Reynolds MP at the end of October and whilst it has taken almost two months thereafter to see the light of day, it is good to see that DEFRA is taking it seriously.

TFA Chief Executive, George Dunn, said: "The TFA congratulates Minette on delivering such a thorough, pragmatic and detailed report. For too long, the agricultural industry has felt like the forgotten sector of our economy when, in fact, it can deliver so much for our nation. Whether it is contributing to national income, good outcomes for health, environmental improvement, natural capital benefits, renewable energy, access and social cohesion, beautiful landscape which is vital to mental health and well-being and driving tourism or climate change and carbon services, we need a profitable, confident, resilient and forward-looking agricultural industry to deliver all of that.”

“DEFRA has talked about the need to produce a Farming Roadmap, but Minette’s report fills that requirement. It has key messages for Government, planners, the supply chain and farmers which we must now grasp together to deliver. The 57 recommendations of this report are crosscutting and should also enjoy cross-party support within Westminster. This report gives us all a huge opportunity to drive and deliver a sustainable, resilient and profitable industry for the benefit of us all. To that end, it is good to see that DEFRA has already responded by establishing a new Farming and Food Partnership Board to be chaired by the DEFRA Secretary of State. This must become a true workhorse for change. Minette has pulled all of the issues together into a coherent whole and her report must be the agenda this new board needs to deliver,” said Mr Dunn.

Understandably, Minette’s review has a large number of strategic recommendations coupled with many which are also quite specific and detailed. It is important that none of what she has had to say is lost as we take this agenda forward, all of her recommendations are worthy of due consideration and implementation.

Of course, the TFA is particularly pleased that Minette has echoed issues which the TFA has championed for many years to improve the profitability and resilience of the tenanted sector of agriculture.

“The need for longer term, more secure agricultural tenancies is vital to drive investment and to deliver strong environmental outcomes. At a time when the Government is looking to amend Inheritance Tax, it needs to take off its blinkers to see the significant good it could achieve in making sensible and well thought through amendments to its policy to bring forward that much needed security of tenure. Minette is also right to address issues of poor conduct within the landlord and tenant sector in agriculture which we must root out. Profitable businesses rarely grow out of conflict, we need clarity, communication and collaboration to achieve those ends,” said Mr Dunn.