Scottish Land & Estates (SL&E) has appealed to the farming industry to avoid being dragged into a "phoney war" over fixed term tenancies that could jeopardise the future of the tenanted sector.

The landowners' organisation also called on landlords to provide tenants with "maximum notice and certainty" over agreements that are due to come to an end and to have regular dialogue with each other.

The Scottish Parliament is currently considering a number of measures as part of the Land Reform Bill that will have far-reaching ramifications for tenant farming including the establishment of modern limited duration tenancies, the conversion of secure tenancies to long-term fixed tenancies and widening of succession rights on secure tenancies.

"The fact that complex agricultural legislation has been thrust into the Land Reform Bill has led to a great deal of polarised and ill-informed debate about farm tenancies", said David Johnstone, chairman of SL&E. "The Parliament's Rural Affairs and Climate Change committee and the Scottish Government are in the process of giving these measures very detailed scrutiny. However, there is a lot of rhetoric being generated outside the parliamentary process," he added.

Mr Johnstone went on: "This rhetoric, often from land reform activists, is not well informed when it comes to agricultural law and we have even heard suggestions that landlords should not be able to resume land at the end of previously agreed fixed-term arrangements. All this is doing is muddying the waters, creating further uncertainty in the sector and damaging confidence to let land. The last thing the farming industry needs is to be dragged into a phoney war about fixed term tenancies. If the legitimacy of fixed term tenancies is not protected, it will in all likelihood have an impact on being brought forward for let.

"We should all be clear in our minds that a fixed term tenancy is what it says it is. A farmer rents a holding for a period of time and if the landlord and tenant voluntarily come to an agreement to enter a new lease or the landlord wants to extend the lease, that is all well and good. However, if a landowner wants to resume the farm that he owns at the end of a fixed period then they should be fee to do that - just as any landlord would do with someone renting a commercial property."

Market round-up

United Auctions sold 365 store heifers at Stirling on Wednesday to a top of 241.1p per kg and an average of 204.2p (+9.9p on the week), while 473 store, beef-bred bulls peaked at 271.8p and levelled at 214.9p (+5.2p0. Ninety-eight store, B&W bullocks sold to 194.4p and averaged 142.2p (-1.2p).

In the rough ring 186 beef cows averaged 98p and 41 dairy cows levelled at 72.1p.

C&D Auction Marts Ltd had 21 prime cattle forward in Dumfries on Wednesday when heifers sold to 216.5p and averaged 190.4p, while bullocks peaked at 220.5p and levelled at 187.9p.

There were 140 OTM cattle presented in the rough ring when beef cows averaged 94.2p and dairy cows levelled at 77.4p.

The firm also sold 989 prime lambs to a top of £78 per head and 183p per kg to average 159.2p (+9.3p).

The 580 cast sheep forward saw heavy ewes sell to £100 for Beltex and average £61.55 (+£6.27), while light ewes peaked at £58 for Hill Cheviots and levelled at £45.09 (+£2.99).