Hedgehog?

[pourfarmer]

Hedgehog, hows it going? are you still farming? Been wondering

[grassfarmer]

Last news I heard

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/26/scottish-farmer-facing-eviction-wins-last-minute-reprieve

[grassfarmer]

For further information on his case I'm pasting a letter that appeared in the Scottish Farmer, the leading farm publication over there. I'm not taking sides in this but wanted to show there is more than one perspective.

"SIR, - Ten or so years ago, as prospective new entrants, my wife and I entered into discussion with an older farmer about potentially taking on his farm to rent.

We wanted an LDT (limited duration tenancy) but he wasn't prepared to risk a future change in legislation leading to him being unable to regain control of his land and offered us instead a 364-day agreement which he would renew every year.

As we weren't prepared to invest without long-term security, we walked away. As it turns out, the farmer in question was perhaps a wise man given how events have turned out.

So, while I have sympathy for Andrew Stoddart's current plight, it is worth remembering amid the current headlong rush to hop on the Land Reform bandwagon, that Mr Stoddart entered into a finite tenancy agreement with the Coulston Trust which was actually due to terminate five years ago.

He is only still incumbent due to the Scottish Parliament's inability to pass legislation that is fit for purpose. Indeed, his extra five years has only come about largely because it has taken this long for Holyrood to sort out this mess.

As is often the way in our time, there has been a knee-jerk demand for the current ScotGov to intervene, with an on-line petition gaining some 15,000 signatures to that effect.

If the SNP and the STFA are serious about maintaining a vibrant tenanted sector in Scotland, may I suggest they pause, take a breath and consider the consequences of government intervention.

Should they put pressure to bear on the Coulston Trust to allow Mr Stoddart to remain a tenant, it immediately calls into question the terms of every current LDT. I would imagine both the Forestry Commission and their tenants in the Starter Farms will be looking at this with more than a little interest.

Perhaps more crucially, in an industry already starved of new blood, should ScotGov intervene on Mr Stoddart's behalf, it will be the final nail in the coffin of the hopes of new entrants wishing to get onto the tenancy ladder.

What right-minded land owner would let land under these circumstances? The STFA might also want to consider that, in their rush to save one member, they will effectively close the door on any potential new members.

There is no doubt there is plenty of room for improvement in the tenanted sector, particularly in the areas of improvements and waygo settlements. I hope this is where we see the SNP deploy energy, rather than some showboating to the masses that will, without doubt, cause more problems than it will solve."