Environment Secretary George Eustice has today (Friday, January 28) announced a new working group dedicated to looking at how tenant farmers and tenancies can be better supported as farming in England is reformed to be more sustainable.

The Tenancy Working Group will be chaired by Baroness Kate Rock and will provide tenant farmers and associated stakeholders a further opportunity to make sure the new environmental land management schemes work within agricultural tenancies.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it is currently working in partnership with farmers, landowners and tenants to design new, post-Brexit agricultural schemes, and support choices that they make for their own holdings.

The new Tenancy Working Group will provide independent advice, from a tenant farmer's perspective, on Defra's scheme developments. Some of what they will review include:

The group will publish a report later this year setting out its conclusions and recommendations to Defra.

Commenting on the establishment of the group, Eustice said:

“We are designing our new schemes in partnership with farmers, and this group will focus specifically on the tenanted sector.

“Tenant farmers are crucial to our farming industry, our farmed environment, and our farming future," added Baroness Rock.

"Access to the new schemes will be of utmost importance to secure the long-term sustainability of tenant farming in England.

"I am delighted to be chairing this timely working group and look forward to engaging fully with all stakeholders involved in the tenanted sector.“