Macra will be at the Irish Farmers Journal and open eir Agri Careers Fair (which takes place in the RDS on 3 March. Register for here for free here if you wish to attend) promoting its Land Mobility Service. But what exactly does this service do?

“It’s to promote farming as a credible careers option,” explains Macra CEO Edmond Connolly. “Traditionally it was the preserve of those with farms and their siblings, but the opportunities are opening up for young people who have appropriate training to get involved in agriculture, even if they don’t have a home farm to go to, through what we call collaborative farm arrangements such as partnerships, share farming, long leases and all the contract rearing and so forth. This is what the Land Mobility Service is all about, promoting these additional career options.”

Edmond points to the system in New Zealand where there is a very definite ladder of progression for young people into agriculture. It starts with lower-order share farming and progresses from there to full partnerships, and then to ownership.

“We’re not as dynamic in Ireland, and I’m not saying that’s the way we have to be, but the fundamental issue in agriculture is that there’s about a third of full-time farmers over the age of 50 with no farming successor. They don’t want to part with the land but their age is against them and they’re not going to have a family member who’s going to farm the land, so there’s an opportunity for young people who are well trained to get involved in what we call collaborative farming arrangements, share farming and partnerships.”

Despite the fact the land mobility service has only been in place since November 2013, it has established about 150 such arrangements to date.

“It’s been very successful but the big thing we found (and this is why we’re keen to promote this service at the Agri Careers Fair), is we would have believed initially there would be more young farmers looking for opportunities than older farmers willing to offer opportunities. But actually, it’s the other way round.

“The issue is that somebody who is maybe in their mid to late 20s, who would possibly be in a position to consider these collaborative farming arrangements, hasn’t been exposed to the idea of share farming or partnership. They’re not as amenable to it, they have probably taken steps in other directions so we’re trying to go back to people – maybe during their agricultural education, and expose them to the idea,” he said.

Growing without having to buy land

Edmond notes that from the perspective of a farmer without a farming successor, up to now the alternative was to scale back the farming enterprise or perhaps lease it through conacre on an annual basis.

The farmer has aspirations that maybe somebody in the extended family might pop up, but the farm gets run down and it gets to a point where even if somebody is interested it’s not in the same shape, while if it’s been actively farmed or in partnership or share farming what happens is the farm is being improved year on year so as an asset it’s being enhanced.

“People are starting to see that. We’ve cases where people maybe have 50 acres, or they might have a small part-time enterprise but they’re getting involved in a larger land block and they’re maybe rearing heifers on their own, so it’s aspiring to grow without having to buy land,” he said.

The Land Mobility Service has started as a pilot programme and is now in its third year of three. Targets set for three years have been reached in two.

“It’s been quite successful.” says Edmond. “There’s been broad acceptance for the concept and the need for it. A number of big co-ops are supporting the service. FBD Trust is the main supporter and it is also supported by Glanbia, Aurivo and Dairygold.

“We are currently based in Kilkenny, Cork and Roscommon/Sligo but the demand for the service has grown to the extent we’ve taken on a second person on a part-time basis. We’re now planning for a post-2016 whereby we can see how can we offer a nationwide service. The intention is to continue it on,” he said.

If you are interested in a career in the agri-industry, come along to the Irish Farmers Journal and open eir Agri Careers Fair, which takes place in the RDS on 3 March 2016. For more information, click here.