Industry bodies representing agricultural landlords and tenants from across Scotland have launched new guidance to help landlords deal with situations where tenants fall behind with their rent.
The guidance is based on existing legislation, and creates a framework to ensure that the deliberate late or non-payment of rent can be dealt with firmly, while at the same time ensuring support where there are genuine mitigating circumstances.
It emphasises the responsibility that falls on all tenants to budget and avoid getting into arrears, but it also underlines an expectation that landlords will take all reasonable steps to ensure that tenants fully understand the potential consequences of late payment and have access to support when this is needed.
Scottish Tenant Farmers Association (STFA) chairman Chris Nicholson said: "Late payment of rent is in practice very rare, and only a maverick would do this deliberately.
"It is worrying, however, that some landlords treat late payment of rent as an opportunity to try and bring the tenancy to an end, with little regard for the underlying circumstances or the impact of eviction on the tenant and his family. This guidance should help to put an end to this kind of behaviour."
Meanwhile First Milk, the farmer-owned co-operative, has published its financial results for year to 31 March 2016.
Although the accounts reveal the company made a net loss of £5.1m, this was a £23m improvement on the eye-watering losses recorded in the previous year. Overall there was a return to a modest operating profit in the year of £6m compared to a £22.1m loss in 2015.
More significantly, net bank borrowings were reduced from £60.3m in 2015 to £32.1m in 2016.
Market round-up
Lawrie & Symington Ltd sold 236 store heifers in Lanark on Tuesday to a top of £1150 per head and 226.4p per kg to average £813.31 and 189.3p, while 308 store, beef-bred bullocks peaked at £1240 and 320.5p to level at £826.28 and 197p. Fifty store, dairy-bred bullocks averaged £460.80 and 123.1p.
Harrison & Hetherington Ltd sold 21 store heifers in Lockerbie on Tuesday to a top of 196.9p and an average of 178.4p, while 24 store bullocks peaked at 191.8p and levelled at 175.6p.
Wallets Marts sold 1759 prime lambs in Castle Douglas on Tuesday to a top of £100 per head and 204.1p per kg to average £73.54 and 166.4p (no change on the week).
There were also 411 cast sheep forward when ewes sold to £68.50 for Mules and £42 for Blackfaces.
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