Tenant farmers from across the North are being invited to get involved in a new informal consultation group being established by the NFU in the region to help ensure that different tenanted businesses are well represented as the sector enters a period of unprecedented change.

Current regional tenants’ spokesman for the NFU, David Martin, is keen to develop a small network of fellow tenants who are able to provide a range of perspectives on different issues affecting the sector and also act as a local contact for other NFU tenant members in their area.

“The job of representing so many tenants across the North-East is a daunting one at the moment when there is so much at stake,” he said.

“Now, more than ever, we need to increase our connection with each other to make sure that collectively we work to influence new government policies as they develop.

“As a result, I would like to encourage more people to get involved with an informal group which will not only help me represent different tenant businesses in different parts of the region, but also give the NFU an effective sounding board as important policy decisions are made in the coming months.

“I am not asking for people to give up a lot of their time and with more of us used to working virtually over recent months, there is an opportunity for people to help make a difference without even having to leave the farm.

“I know there are a lot of people out there who have a lot of useful experience and potentially a really valuable contribution to make, but they can’t commit to time away from the business. I am hoping that this idea of a more informal group could bridge that gap and give more tenants a route to get their voices heard.”

Anyone interested should contact Jane Dungait on 07968 321734 or email: jane.dungait@nfu.org.uk.