NORTH Yorkshire County Council has defended its policy of selling its farms.

The move follows criticism by the Tenants Farmers' Association (TFA), which said it was alarmed at the disposal of the farms.

Chairman Reg Haydon said the council had decided its policy five years ago to sell farms when they fell vacant. Some sales would also be agreed with sitting tenants, he added.

"Ultimately that will result in around 110 North Yorkshire holdings being lost to new farmers. This is a short-sighted dash for cash and will do nothing to benefit the agricultural economy of the county," said Mr Haydon.

He said the TFA had always championed the cause of the new farming entrant.

"Tenancies are the principle mechanism by which new farmers access the industry and the TFA is keen to ensure that there continues to be a strong supply of tenancies available."

One way to increase supply, said Mr Haydon, would be for the Government to introduce a farmer retirement scheme.

"In order to create opportunities, others have to leave the industry," he said. "There are many tenants who would like to retire, but can't due to debt and a lack of alternative housing."

A spokesman for the county council said that the authority had bought land immediately after the First World War to lease and get tenants farmers back in business. "It worked very successfully, but gradually the number of farmers reduced," said the spokesman.

He said that the council had refocused its policy and decided to sell off tenancies as they became available.

However, the sitting tenants' families had the first option to buy the farms and small holdings.

"All proceeds from the sales are channelled into North Yorkshire County Council services, such as educating 80,000 children a day, maintaining the county's 6,000 miles of roads and caring for the very young and the old through social services," said the spokesman.