SCOTLAND’S TENANT farmers have expressed reservations about the Forestry Commission’s pilot scheme to lease agricultural land for tree planting.

“Once again, public policy has been formulated without taking account of the different set of conditions under which tenant farmers operate and the impact that such a scheme may have on the tenanted sector,” said the Scottish Tenant Farmers’ Association.

“The FC is to be commended on its attempt to involve the farming industry in creating this new initiative, but it should recognise that with a third of Scotland’s agricultural land tenanted, some provision should have been made to accommodate the aspirations of tenant farmers.

“There are already a number of tenants who are involved in tree planting under Rural Priorities and there may be many more who would be interested in taking part in this pilot project if their leases were to allow them to sub-let.”

STFA chairman, Angus McCall, also expressed his personal disquiet at the general principal of encouraging land to be permanently removed from livestock production.

Speaking the day after the Lairg sheep sales, he said: “It is ironic that after the tremendous sale of lambs yesterday which put a spring into the step of sheep men, we should be talking about a scheme which could lead to extensive planting of some of the best marginal hill land at the expense of livestock production, when we should be discussing how to encourage sheep back onto the hills and glens.

“Unfortunately, this scheme may well be seen as an attractive alternative to renting out land for farming and STFA is well aware of continuing efforts by landlords to take land out of secure tenure where possible.”

STFA representative, Alastair Nairn, from Glenlivet, also raised concerns over the fate of the planted land after the expiry of the proposed 10-year lease to the Forestry Commission: “The Highlands of Scotland are full of examples of forestry plantations which have seen little of no maintenance and thinning and I am concerned that this type of initiative will go the same way.”