A good year for tenant farmers

Council brings in £734k over 12 months of renting out 6,500 acres of farmland

- Sentinel Reporter

FARMS owned by a local authority have brought in a net profit of £734,000 over the past year.

There are 63 tenant farms owned by Staffordshire County Council, covering about 6,500 acres.

They provide opportunities for new and progressing farmers as well as generating income for public services, the authority said.

Alongside the financial return, the estate has supported food production as well as rural businesses and jobs.

Five new tenants have taken up holdings on the estate this year, while two existing tenants progressed to larger farms.