RENT REVIEWS IN THE OFFING - BE PREPARED

Farm rents have remained relatively static over the last decade, and justifiably so. Declining farm incomes in all sectors have restrained all but the most determined factors from serving rent review notices. However, this is likely to change as the recent upsurge in commodity prices encourage an expectation of the part of landlords that rents should follow suit. There has already been a spate of notices served last November, mainly to arable farmers, and it looks as if this trend is set to continue for the May term, with livestock farming coming under the spotlight. It should also be remembered that the tenant can serve notice of a rent review on the landlord. This is most likely to occur when a tenant believes the rent should be reduced, a situation, for instance, with many tenant pig farmers in the current economic climate.

	INTRODUCTION
	Modern agriculture has relied upon large inputs of fertilisers and crop protection compounds for decades, but in a world obsessed with reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the industry will have to face up to its responsibilities with a range of new pollution regulations, set to be launched later this year.

DAIRY CATTLE ARE 'WORST POLLUTERS'

Increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have always been perceived as the main culprit behind global warming, but the risks are far greater from nitrous oxide and methane emissions from farming.

	AIMING TO REDUCE EMISSIONS BY 80%
	Little has been documented about global warming and its effects on the farming industry, but with the world’s population predicted to increase by 50% from it’s current 6.6bn, to approximately 9bn, by 2050, not only will agricultural land that will become scarcer, but also the amount available for wildlife, forestry, housing and urban regeneration.

WORKING OUT YOUR EMISSIONS

Farmers can calculate the carbon foot-print of their business using the free on-line calculator at www.cplan.org.uk, which not only works out total farm greenhouse gas emissions but also provides valuable information on how to reduce emissions.