Mar 21 2014
STFA WELCOMES EXCITING CHANCE FOR NEW ENTRANTS
STFA WELCOMES EXCITING CHANCE FOR NEW ENTRANTS
The Scottish Tenant Farmers Association is delighted at the news that the Scottish Government, through the Forestry Commission, is releasing another starter farm at at Achnamoine, near Halkirk in Caithness. This will be the eighth starter unit in Scotland and the first in the Highlands.
Welcoming the announcement STFA spokesman Angus McCall, who farms in Sutherland, said; “This is good news and I am pleased that the Scottish Government is sticking to its commitment to roll out starter farms throughout Scotland and I am also pleased to note that the intention with the Caithness unit is to integrate farming with woodland management, which makes sense.
“The tenancy market has all but dried up and new entrants are finding it harder and harder to find land to farm. The private sector has shown little interest in creating a starter unit programme since new entrants became a priority for the Scottish Government. The Forestry Commission starter farm programme is now virtually the only route into a tenanted farm for a new entrant and new units will inevitably be heavily subscribed. Aspiring Scottish new entrants will look wistfully over the border where the 2700 county council farms provide regular opportunities for new entrants. Scottish Ministers are the largest landowner in Scotland and I am sure that there must be scope for creating more agricultural units, even if they were not to be equipped to the same standard as the Forestry Commission ones.
“This is an exciting chance for a new entrant to make a start in farming. Caithness is a very productive stock farming area with a vibrant farming community and an active Young Farmers Club. I am sure any new entrant will soon find himself at home and taking advantage of the many opportunities that will present themselves in such a keen livestock area.”