Young Irish farmers: ‘We’re playing the drum and nobody’s listening’

Macra has said rural youth out-migration and the ageing farmer profile are key issues facing rural areas which need to be urgently addressed.

“Young farmers who wish to set up or take over an existing farm business must be supported through an enabling policy framework,” according to the organisation.

“This should address the core business, environmental and broader health and safety requirements of young farmers to ensure fair and equitable access to farm entrepreneurship and diversification, along with adequate living and working conditions.” 

Young farmers make up only 6.9% of the farming population in Ireland.

Young farmer a minority

“It’s time that people realised that the young farmer is a minority,” Macra president Ms Houlihan told the Irish Examiner.

“The Government needs to deliver something for young people, give them supports to actually stay in farming, because we all want to stay in rural Ireland but we have no choice but to leave.

Succession does not just affect farming. If you get young people into farms at a young age, that money is going back into a rural community: it’s going to keep a shop open; keep a pub open; keep the doors of a church open; it’s going to keep a school going. 

For Ms Houlihan and her fellow young farmers, it can often feel like “we’re playing the drum and nobody’s listening” when trying to speak about the concerns around succession.

Last year, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue announced the Succession Planning Advice Grant.

Succession Planning Advice Grant

The Succession Planning Advice Grant is a scheme specifically aimed at encouraging best practice in intergenerational land transfer to address, among other things, significant generational imbalances in farming, according to the Department of Agriculture.

The grant is to encourage and support farmers aged 60 years and above to seek succession planning advice by contributing up to 50% of vouched legal, accounting and advisory costs, subject to a maximum payment of €1,500.

Tranche one closed for applications on December 31, 2023, with just 71 applications made in that first tranche.

According to Macra, while this figure was disappointing, it was not surprising.

The minister has now announced his intention to establish a commission on generational renewal in farming.

“I expect the European Commission to publish its proposals for a post-2027 CAP in mid-2025. Against this background, this is an appropriate time to consider whether the framework currently in place provides support to young farmers thinking of entering the sector and effectively encourages generational renewal,” Mr McConalogue said.

“The time has come to have an honest and absolutely objective look at this, including the supports in place, to consider whether those measures are having the desired effect, how supports might best be configured to encourage generational renewal, for example through land transfers and succession planning.

Farm succession is a complex area and there are many factors that impact farmers’ decisions. We need to properly assess this and consider whether there are any unintended barriers to entry for young people under the current regime.

“With this in mind, I intend to establish a group with the relevant expertise and experience to take an objective and robust evidence-based look at all of the factors in play to ensure that we have a well-researched basis for us to make optimal use of the policy tools available to encourage young people, who are the lifeblood of farming, into the sector.” 

Ms Houlihan said young farmers will hope this announcement is not “just a political election talking ground” and there will be action.

“It’s great to see an initiative and we’ll welcome every initiative possible — but we want action now to keep young people in farming and keep them in rural Ireland.” 

Call for retirement scheme

A retirement scheme is a possible measure that could be introduced. Ms Houlihan said the focus truly needed to be on succession, and supporting young people.

The Irish Farmers’ Association’s farm family and social affairs chairwoman Teresa Roche reiterated this.

Ms Roche said a retirement scheme was important “to ensure financial security and support for the farmer stepping back from the everyday running of the farming enterprise”.

However, if a scheme is developed, “it must be adequately funded to ensure that the retiring farmer is financially supported and that the remaining farming business provides a young person with the opportunity to take over, expand and develop the business in a way that provides a viable income”.

“A well-designed farmer retirement scheme will not only ensure that our older farmers can retire with dignity, but it will also create opportunities for young, ambitious farmers to enter the sector,” Ms Roche added.

Succession a taboo subject

Macra’s Ms Houlihan said there was still a “taboo” to overcome when it comes to succession.

"There is a massive stigma around succession and I get it — no one wants to talk about ageing, nobody wants to talk about dying, and nobody wants to talk about conflict,” she said.

“But we have to have these conversations to ensure we can actually secure a future for the current generation and the generation below it.” 

CSO figures show the proportion of farm holders under 35 has been falling consistently since 1991.

In 2020, almost one-third of all farm holders were aged 65 or over compared to just above one-fifth in 1991.

In 1991, 33.1% of farm holders were under the age of 45, whereas in 2020 this age group represented 20.8% of all farm holders.