Scottish Agricultural Tenure Evidence Review - Seasonally let-in grazing land

The Agricultural Holdings Legislation Review Group (2014/15) requested further evidence on seasonal grazing lets to inform their assessment of the importance of grazing lets as a crucial entry point to farming. This report extended the analysis of seasonally let land conducted as part of the Scottish Agricultural Tenure Evidence Review (Thomson and Moxey, 2014) by examining seasonally let land trends from 2005 to 2013 and assessing the characteristics of farms renting in seasonal grazing lets in 2013. The use of seasonal grazing lets is an integral part of Scotland’s livestock sector with 49% of holdings with cattle and 30% of holdings with sheep renting-in seasonal grassland or rough grazing in 2013. These holdings accounted for 68.6% of the national cattle herd and 54.4% of the national sheep flock. Around 44% of Single Farm Payment (SFP) claimants’ rented-in seasonal land in 2013. There was a 15% increase in the number of businesses renting-in seasonal land that was used in SFP claims between 2005 and 2013. Over this period there was a 15% decline in the number of businesses renting-in permanent pasture, temporary grass and land for cropping. However the number of businesses renting-in seasonal rough grazing more than doubled, to 5,152 holdings in 2013, and about a quarter of all SFP claimants rented-in seasonal rough grazing in 2013.