Future of Farming Review

The whole farming industry needs to work harder to attract new talent into the sector.  This is the conclusion of a new study Commissioned by DEFRA, entitled the ‘Future of Farming Review’.  Led by David Fursdon, a group with experience in farming, business and education have been gathering views from all over the country since the review was set up in January.  They have now produced a report with recommendations to government.  The findings include;

• more still needs to be done to engage school age children with positive images of a career in farming.  There are currently a number of initiatives in this area but there is a lack of co-ordination and focus.
• agriculture should be embedded in the school curriculum and greater effort made to present farming as as a high-tech, innovative sector.
• the industry should take more responsibility for training and development.  Thisshould include creative graduate training schemes, supporting apprenticeships, outlining clear career development paths, and working more closely with educational establishments.  The growth of larger farming businesses should not be seen as prejudicial to the chances of new entrants, but instead could offer a more structured career and training environment, as seen in other industries.
• farming should have a professional qualification, and business and management skills should be made key to career progression.
• there should be more analysis undertaken of how many new entrantsare actually required by the industry and what specific sectors could be short of the skills they need. 
• it needs to be recognised, both by young people and the wider industry, that securing their own land and business is not the only route into farming.  To this end, joint venture arrangements should be encouraged, and better advice given to existing farmers about such opportunities.  A ‘matching service’ to bring parties together should be investigated. 
• farmers should be given greater support to exit or retire.  In addition, the tax and tenancy regimes should be reformed to remove incentives to keep farming.  This includes changing the succession provisions under the 1986 AHA, making the letting of land tax neutral, and even removing Agricultural Property Relief after the age of 70.
• there should be polices to encourage the release of land for affordable rural housing.
• it needs to be identified how much County Council farms contribute to entry and progression in the industry.
• the Rural Development Programme should be used a catalyst for change, but a specific Young Farmers scheme would probably not be the best use of limited money.
• government needs to have a better understanding of land tenure and farming business structures.
• innovative financing schemes should be investigated further.

The review group will discuss their recommendations with DEFRA.  Then a workshop is planned for the autumn to meet with interested parties and work out ways to implement the recommendations.  The group proposes that it will continue to meet to monitor progress and make further recommendations.  The full report can be found at – https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/211175/pb13982-future-farming-review-20130709.pdf