The Tenant Farmers Association Demands a Review of the Council's Farms Estate Committee Policy

The peculiar thing in the policy of the Council's farms estate committee is that it offers tenants the opportunity of a five-year Farm Business. Tenancy with the potential option of a second term if a progression of the estate has not been achieved. In other words successful farmers are not likely to stay in the estate. For tenants, it becomes not beneficial to contribute any forces and efforts to the development of the Devon. George Dunn, Tenant Farmers Association's chief executive, told Devon county councilors that its tenant farmers have become increasingly disappointed with the policy of the Council's farms estate committee. Over thirty tenants representing over a third of the Devon estate attended the meeting to demonstrate how much they are unpleased with the council's current management. Dunn told councilors that Devon had stopped to provide opportunities for individuals to be farmers on their own account. He blamed the Council's farms estate committee in inactivity. There is no help or assistance provided by the local authority to progress the estate, with the second term, which is being granted if the positive result has not been achieved, not taken into account. It should not be considered a failure to allow a successful business to continue to thrive on the County estate. It is more than odd that successful farm businesses cannot be allowed to continue to thrive within the County estate. Those who have tenancy agreements that are about to end have to re-tender for their farm in competition with other tenants on the estate who are also nearing the end of their terms. According to the policy of the council, one successful farmer will be replaced by another successful farmer who has to start again from scratch. This does not give individuals the confidence to invest or to make the best use of the time that they have available. At the moment tenants want the committee to review the monuments of the policy in cooperation with the estate tenants.