Farming in the Uplands - ARCHIVE: Defra

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32 Farming in the Uplands Future development 82. In High ground, high potential the CRC makes recommendations about research and development and improving agricultural skills. 179 The report recommends action to facilitate greater knowledge transfer, promote apprenticeships and training, and develop demonstration farms. In response to the CRC’s recommendations, the NFU state that: To support skills development, a long-term and collaborative plan for research and knowledge transfer is vital. Including colleges and demonstration farms as part of this collective resource is sensible. 180 83. The AHDB explained that “knowledge transfer of existing and new ideas should be tailored to the needs and systems of upland producers”, but that hill farmers also benefitted from “access to expertise, materials and scale from a nationally coordinated programme”. 181 The AHDB added: Whilst ‘Demonstration Farms’ have their uses, delivery of activity should not be focused on these alone. Demonstration farms should be used to show the challenges and benefits of practical adoption of new ideas, but these messages need to be rolled out wider and delivered locally across the region, which should involve local farm events where a specific element of best practice can be shown. 182 84. Mr Dunn, chief executive of the TFA, considered Government had a role in encouraging new entrants and improving training. 183 Defra’s written evidence makes the point that “Upland farmers will need to have strong business skills and entrepreneurial outlooks. They will need to constantly seek greater efficiencies, cut costs and maximise the income from their livestock enterprises”. 184 The department’s memorandum goes on to list actions that some upland farmers have already taken to increase their efficiency. The list includes business management, agricultural innovations and diversification. The implication is that these sorts of actions could be taken by a greater proportion of hill farmers. 185 The Minister considered it “hugely important” to have the right skills and qualifications to work in farming and confirmed that “Defra does have a big role in that”. 186 EMBARGOED ADVANCE COPY: Not to be published in full, or part, in any form before 00.01am GMT Wednesday 16 February 2011 He referred to the Agri-Skills project and, in the context of the uplands, the Moor Skills project. 187 85. Improved extension services and demonstration farms, where appropriate, need to be part of the mix of approaches that will need to be deployed to improve the competitiveness of uplands farmers. We recommend that Defra include specific 179 High ground, high potential, p 16 180 Ev 65 181 Ev w26 182 Ev w26 183 Q 90 184 Ev 81 185 Ev 81 186 Q 164 187 Q 164
EMBARGOED ADVANCE COPY: Not to be published in full, or part, in any form before 00.01am GMT Wednesday 16 February 2011 Farming in the Uplands 33 reference in its uplands strategy action plan as to how it will support improving agricultural, business and management skills and schemes that enable diversification. 86. The long term future of hill farming depends not only on existing farmers having the right skills and technology, but also on young people deciding to take up farming. Succession, the progression from one farming generation to the next, has been a concern for several years as the average age of farmers has increased. The NFU state: The marginal viability of uplands farms creates succession issues. Although 37% of upland farmers have succession secured, it is questionable for the majority. 21% of upland farms are not expected to continue beyond the next 5 years. We believe that financial uncertainty is critical to determining family members’ decisions to take on and invest in hill farms. 188 Succession has been a particular concern for tenant farmers. Mr Dunn told us that: There are people sitting on three-generational tenancies who do not have a clue about how they go about the procedures for succession, despite the fact they are in prime positions to be able to succeed. There is a role to be played in ensuring that hill areas get access to that good advice and information. If Defra can assist in that, that will be great... 189 87. Previously a potential successor to a tenancy had to have earned his livelihood from agricultural work on the holding from 5 out of the last 7 years in order to meet the “livelihood test”. This discouraged farm tenants from diversifying as it could jeopardise a successor’s chances of succeeding to a tenancy if he was carrying out non-agricultural work. Defra has confirmed that “the amendment made by the Regulatory Reform (Agricultural Tenancies) (England and Wales) Order 2006 provides that income from diversified and off-farm activities can be taken into account in the “livelihood test”, where the landlord has given consent for the diversification”. 190 The removal of this technical hurdle to succession is to be welcomed. 88. However, there are more fundamental concerns, such as the absence of affordable rural housing, which discourage new entrants and children of farmers from committing to hill farming. Succession is likely to remain problematic until the fundamental issues of low economic viability and high uncertainty of hill farming are addressed. Broadband 89. For several years the poor provision of broadband internet access and mobile telephone communications in many of the remote areas of the UK has been one of the key concerns of rural communities. The CRC made a series of recommendations in High ground, high potential, principally addressed to the Business, Innovations and Skills department. Several witnesses referred to the importance of improving internet access. AHDB noted that across the country farm household internet access was high, although there was limited use as a 188 Ev 62 189 Q 90 190 Ev 85
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