SEBG News Archive
Estates Dispute 'Rush' to Sell Farms
21th September 2004The Scottish Estates Business Group today (Tuesday) disputed claims that landowners were rushing to sell agricultural land before the implementation of new legislation giving tenants a pre-emptive right to buy.
John Farquhar Munro, Liberal Democrat MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, has accused landowners of ‘evading the will of parliament’ by selling land prior to the implementation of the tenant’s right to buy provisions in the new Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act. The MSP has also claimed there is a delay in the implementation of the right to buy section of the act.
Sandy Lewis, chairman of the Scottish Estates Business Group, said: “SEBG does not recognise a rush by landowners to sell land at this time. Everyone has known for nearly three years that some form of right to buy would be introduced under the legislation. Also, why would landowners ‘rush’ to sell a tenanted farm on the open market when it would realise a lower price than selling to an occupying tenant. The vast majority of tenanted farms sold are bought by the tenant who occupies them.
“Furthermore, it is common knowledge that there is a lot of uncertainty in the farm market mainly due to concerns over the complexities of CAP Reform. There are a number of concerns throughout the tenant farming industry about the new agricultural holdings legislation. At a time where all parties in the industry are working together through the Tenant Farming Forum to address the issues we face, allegations such as these are unhelpful.”
