LANDLORDS have been urged to recognise the difficult and stressful year when looking at farm rents.

The Tenant Farmers' Association and the Rural Stress Information Network united to make the call, coinciding with Lady Day, a traditional day for farm rents to fall due.

Caroline Davies, director of RSIN, said that for many it was a difficult time: "After the scourge of foot-and-mouth disease last year, farming families who are tenants have found that they have few options. I would therefore encourage landlords to take the initiative to discuss the situation with their tenants in an open-handed way.

"In our experience, addressing the difficulties while there are still options is the best way forward from everyone's point of view.

"The rural stress partners are all aware of the particular problems of tenants and offer their support to those who have to face up to an uncertain future."

George Dunn, TFA chief executive, said tenants should look carefully at the level of rent they were paying. "If it has not been reviewed for some time there may be an opportunity of a reduction," he said.

While they hoped all landlords would take a fair and reasonable attitude, they were aware that there were landlords who, with their agents, could make life difficult for tenants.

Mr Dunn advised tenants to consider taking out insurance, available from the TFA, against the costs of going to arbitration to settle the rent.