The price of land
Access to land is a huge issue for any new entrant to agriculture or horticulture. Unless new entrants happen to have a lot of money behind them (which is unlikely for any young business), prices of land are virtually out of reach of any new business.
Organic food attracts premium prices and it appears organic land does also. Whilst this is a positive in that the value of organic husbandry is being reflected in capital values, it makes it even harder for existing organic farms to be taken on by a younger generation.
Here are some illuminating figures from the Times online:
£3,500 Price of an average acre of farmland a year ago
£5,000 Price that an acre is close to fetching today
£7,000 Price today of an acre of prime arable land
£10,000 Rural market experts say this will be the cost of an acre within three years
Recent sales and valuations of organic farms show a trend in prices exceeding the £5,000 average by quite a margin. Small acerages (which have market potential for horsey-culture).
There is a clear need for some serious thinking from all parties involved in land management for some solutions to these issues. Without some intervention, land will continually be bought up by large businesses and as investments, perpetuating the trend in de-ruralisation and creating an ever-deader rural Britain.