The ageing agricultural community across the European Union needs new blood, the European Commission says.

It says that member states are in the best position to stimulate farm transfer using their powers on land regulations, taxation, inheritance law or territorial planning.

However the Commission recommends an EU-wide system of support for young farmers setting up, either through a simplified top-up payment for new entrants and/or the reinforcement or extension of current lump-sum payments.

It wants financial instruments to give young farmers easier access to credit for farm investment and working capital.

It also recommends incentives to facilitate the exit of the older generation and increase land mobility.

There should also be measures to promote transfer of knowledge between generations (through partnerships and other new business models) and facilitate succession planning such as advisory services, mentoring and farm succession plans.

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Succession planning: let's get talking

‘They’ll take me out legs first’ – farm succession in focus

Irish Farmers Journal / Red C poll: 50% of farmers have successor lined up