FARMERS and growers are being primed to expect a considerably greater cutback in their entitlements to fuel the National Reserve because of an underestimation of the number of farmers who will claim from it.

The three per cent cutback which has been proposed so far is unlikely to be sufficient to supply the entitlement rights for all eligible applicants, according to Richard Greasby, associate in the land management department at the Moreton office of Strutt and Parker.

Potential applicants from the Reserve include new entrants, new investors, those who have rented land for six years or more, purchasers or transferors of let land, those who have converted enterprises and farmers who have taken business decisions under exceptional circumstances.

Fuelling the National Reserve will be an initial and permanent reduction in all farmers' entitlements, but Mr Greasby said: "There could potentially be a large number of National Reserve applicants and a large amount of additional entitlement awarded to them. It has to come from somewhere, namely from other farmers. I would be amazed if the currently cited three per cent cutback isn't increased significantly."