There needs to be tax free relief for potato and horticulture farmers to lease land on a short-term basis, agronomist with O’Shea Farms Tom Murray has said.

“I do think there is a place and there needs to be an incentive there for potato and horticulture crops, if they’re in one or two-year rents or leases, it should actually be tax-free for the landowner or the farmer.

“Depending on their tax circumstances, they’re leasing half of what they’re getting paid. That needs to change,” he said.

He also said that potato and horticulture farmers are not fully availing of tax incentives around land leasing.

“What’s key for that is the potato and horticulture crop [growers], they’re not fully availing of the tax incentives that’s there for landowners for leasing.”