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The report on the state of implementation of the current CAP young farmers’ mechanism is due to be debated in the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee this week and advises that continued support be given to young farmers and a process put in place to allow older farmers to retire.
“In order to deal with the problem of land access, the report recommends revaluating the direct payment scheme and creating new incentives for older farmers to pass on their farms,” MEP and vice-president of the European Parliament Mairead McGuiness said.
“It highlights that even though EU assistance has been available to young farmers for more than three decades, the young farmer problem seems to remain - due to its complexity and the limited effectiveness of policy mechanisms to deal with it,” McGuinness concluded.
The ageing farm population is an ongoing issue across Europe and the report comes a week before the EU Commission publishes its communication on further CAP reform.
National Reserve and YFS
In Ireland, despite the existence of a National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme (YFS) to support young farmers, the average age of a farmer remains high at 56.
However, there is a question mark over whether the National Reserve, which provides a financial payment to young farmers, will be available in 2018.
A Department of Agriculture spokesperson stated: “A decision regarding the National Reserve for 2018 will be considered following an analysis of the funding available when all eligible applicants under the 2017 National Reserve have been catered for.”
Uncertainty over 2018 National Reserve
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