THE Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) has stepped up its campaign for longer Farm Business Tenancies (FBTs).

The aim of its FBT10+ campaign is to see the average length of FBTs rise from the current level of just over three years to more than 10 years.

Speaking ahead of this week's Cereals 2015 at Boothby Graffoe, Lincolnshire, George Dunn, TFA chief executive, said FBTs had been too short for too long – arable farmers need longer term security.

He said: "Dealing with issues such as price volatility, invasion of pests and unfavourable weather within the context of short term security of tenure has created massive strain on farm businesses reliant upon FBTs.

"We need a step change in the security made available to arable producers by making longer term lets more attractive to the landlord community whilst discouraging shorter term agreements."

Mr Dunn said the short-term nature of tenancies also threatened the long-term sustainability of the very soils on which farming depends.

He said: "Those with only a short-term horizon will be less inclined to consider long term soil health and although some landlords are now seeking to include a comparison of soil indices at the beginning and end of tenancy agreements, this is treating the symptoms rather than the cause.

"Give people long-term security and they will be happy to invest in the farm’s infrastructure, including ensuring vital soil management control."

Mr Dunn said rent levels on new FBTs for arable ground appeared "removed from reality."

High levels of rent were regularly offered by owner occupiers who have low rent and finance charges on their main holdings despite the damage it causes to their own farm profitability and the negative impact it had on rents more widely.

"Owner occupiers need to wake up to the reality of what they are doing both to themselves and to the wider interest of arable farmers reliant upon FBTs," said Mr Dunn.

"Rents on land growing maize intended for anaerobic digestion plants are also causing distortions due to the generous Feed in Tariff offered by Government.

"The TFA continues to argue that crop fed anaerobic digestion systems should no longer be able to attract this funding given the extent to which it is both distorting the market place for let land and the large profits that are clearly being made from these activities."