The UK government should introduce tax breaks to incentivise landowners to let land out in longer term tenancies, Jeremy Moody from the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) has said.

In 2015, the Irish government introduced income tax relief for landowners letting land out for five years or more. Moody said that around 300,000 acres were let under these terms in the first two years of the incentive being introduced.

“The area of conacre fell by 3% in 2015, 15% in 2016 and 28% in 2017, suggesting a progressive shift to longer term lettings as desired by the Irish government,” he said.

Moody said that longer term leasing gives farmers more security for investment and improvement of land.

With the UK government aiming to increase agricultural productivity after Brexit, he said that tax relief similar to what the Irish government introduced could have a rapid and long-term impact.