How long will the term of the lease be?
Mississippi farmers generally like to lease the farm for three to five year periods. However, the farms can be leased for longer or shorter periods of time. Some considerations are. If the farmer leases for short periods at a time (i.e. one year term), he is usually reluctant to spend as much money on upkeep of roads, ditches, irrigation equipment, and soil preparation. This can lead to reduced production and a farm that is not as well maintained. With a long term lease (i.e. over five years), this can hinder the marketability of the farm. Some potential purchasers may want to farm the land themselves or may want to negotiate a different type of lease. A good provision is the right of the owner to terminate the lease upon the sale or transfer of the property after the second year of the lease term. This gives the farmer the assurance of two crops along with the assurance of the additional crop(s) if the owner does not sell the farm.
