Farm land matching service launches

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing has launched a new land matching service for the farming industry.

The Scottish Land Matching Service will initiate discussions between new entrants to farming and landowners. The service will provide unbiased guidance and support to both parties and is aimed at tackling the issues of an ageing farming population and lack of access to land for new entrants.

The new land matching service comes as a result of cross-industry working by a Rural Innovation Support Service (RISS) group comprising farmers, the NFUS, the Land Commission, Young Farmers, land agents, Scottish Land and Estates and the National Forestry Estate tenants.

The service aims to help new entrants like Pat and Jess Kimpton who have entered into a five-year joint venture agreement with Robin Young of Waterside Farm, near Dunblane enabling them to fulfil their ambition of running their own farming business.

Under the joint venture agreement, the land continues to be owned by the Young’s while the machinery is owned by the Kimpton’s. Costs, risks, capital investment and profits are shared at an agreed rate between the two parties.

Mr Kimpton said:

"We saw this as a great opportunity to get a foot on the ladder and grow our own business. It also helps to share the risk, so we will have more confidence to develop further. Having good quality impartial advice is also essential for that."

Mr Young added:

"The formation of a joint venture has given us confidence to invest in our business as well as enabling a young couple the opportunity to develop and grow their own business in tandem.

"A land matching service would have been hugely beneficial to us when we started this process and hopefully it will open up opportunities to others and help highlight the benefits of collaborative working."

Launching the scheme while visiting the farm, Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said:

"The availability of land remains one of the primary barriers to attracting new entrants to farming and I am clear overcoming this challenge is vital for the future sustainability of the industry.

"With current land matching, joint venture and contract farming agreements administered by a range of parties, the advice available is often ad-hoc and variable in quality. That is why this new service is so important, as it will manage a database of potential service users and then offer them support to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome.

"I am also delighted Ian Davidson has agreed to be an independent adviser to the service, which I hope will help to alleviate the historic problem of an ageing farming population and lack of access to land for new entrants."

The Scottish Land Matching Service will be hosted by the National Farmers Union for Scotland and will report directly into the Farming Opportunities for New Entrants group.

Find out more about the Scottish Land Matching Service.

Find out more about the RISS group on Matchmaking Scottish farmers with land