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13/03/08
The Tenant Farmers Association’s new National Chairman
is arable and sheep farmer Greg Bliss from Cambridgeshire who
takes over following the retirement of Reg Haydon who has held
office for the last 13 years.
Gregg Bliss
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Greg Bliss said, “There is no doubt that I step into the
chairmanship of a strong, vibrant Association. Over the 13 years
of Reg Haydon’s chairmanship, the TFA has gone from strength
to strength. It is now well placed to advise its growing membership
and to be an influence for good in Whitehall, Westminster and
Europe. I want to build on those strengths to ensure that the
TFA meets the demands of its discerning members”.
“The agenda of issues that I will face as TFA National
Chairman is already full. This year, obviously rent reviews are
going to be a key concern. In recent years there has been a dearth
of rent reviews with rents remaining fairly static. This followed
a period of high activity in the late 1990’s and the early
years of this century which saw farm rents fall up to two or
three times from their peak levels of 1996. It is no surprise
then, with the upturn in some farm gate prices, that landlords’ agents
have been advising their clients that it would be timely to issue
rent review notices. However, we have been seeking to remind
them that they need also to be looking at the cost side of the
equation,” said Mr Bliss.
“The list of other issues to be tackled includes changes
in the area and rules relating to Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, the
continuing scourge of bovine TB, cost and responsibility sharing
for animal diseases, the CAP Health Check, climate change adaptation
and mitigation, food security, agri-environment policy, taxation,
planning, retirement, affordable housing and the future of County
Council Smallholdings to name but a few. These are all areas
where the TFA continues to play a major role on behalf of its
members and the landlord tenant system in general,” said
Mr Bliss.
“The TFA was set up 27 years ago to promote and protect
the interests of the tenanted farming sector generally and in
particular to represent and advise tenant farmers on all tenancy
and ancillary matters. That will remain the TFA’s focus
under my chairmanship. My mission is to provide a complete service
to all farmers who rent land through advice, information, on-going
support and to act as an effective advocate on their behalf with
all public and private bodies with an interest in or influence
over tenant farmers and the tenanted sector in agriculture. The
TFA should be the first port of call for tenant farmers seeking
help, information or advice” said Mr Bliss.
 Reg Haydon Becomes First TFA Honorary Life President
TFA National Road Show on Farm Rents Gets Underway
Great North Meet Conference
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