The ifac Irish Farm report, launched this week, reveals the mood of Irish farmers and their views on the challenges and opportunities they see for the sector.
The good news is that the industry, as a whole, is optimistic about the future. Three in five respondents indicated they are positive about the future, the highest proportion seen in the survey since 2021.
That doesn’t mean that farming is without its challenges.
The biggest concern among survey respondents remains rules and regulations, closely followed by input and output prices. Succession planning continues to be one of the most persistent challenges facing Irish farming.
It is also clear from the report that the key challenges vary greatly depending on which sector a farmer operates in. In dairying, 61% of farmers say the biggest challenge for their operation is rules, regulation and bureaucracy, with 47% saying it is input/output prices.
In contrast, five in six respondents in the tillage sector said prices are the biggest challenge.
Barriers
It is also notable how different farmers view the barriers to succession. Overall, 26% believe the biggest barriers to succession are business viability and the lifestyle not being appealing to the next generation.
That 26% breaks down between dairying and other operations, where dairy farmers are worried about how appealing the lifestyle is rather than profitability, while in beef, sheep and tillage sectors, farmers are concerned about profitability rather than attractiveness of the business.
The Survey
Over 1,000 farmers across the country participated in this year’s ifac Farm Report.
Reflecting the demographics in the industry, 53% of respondents were over 54 years old, while only 7% were under 35. Only 11% of farmers in the survey are women.
By system, 37% of those surveyed were mainly beef, 35% were mainly dairy, 10% were mainly sheep and 4% were tillage. 5% of respondents were mixed tillage and livestock.
The survey was conducted from October to November 2025.
Succession
The report includes a foreword from Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon on the topic of generational renewal. He said that generational renewal, including farm succession, is a complex issue and that there are many factors involved.
He highlighted the recommendations made by the Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming, saying that: “These recommendations will be carefully considered by an implementation group in my Department who will engage with agricultural stakeholders and the relevant public bodies.”
He said that while some of the recommendations are for consideration in the context of the next CAP, it is hoped that others can be progressed in a shorter timeframe.
The report makes clear while regulation and incentives may be helpful in easing succession, the biggest barriers are a lack of successors and fears about future income and security for older farmers.
Robert Johnson, tax partner at ifac, advises to start early with a pension, and with retirement planning, to make succession significantly easier. He makes the point that if pension payments are not large enough to maintain a farmer’s lifestyle once they turn 66 then they will be looking to continue to get money from the farm in retirement.
He said: “It’s hard to ask to get the older generation of farmers off the land if there is not enough money in the pot.”
The report found that two in five farmers do not have a formal successor in place, and more worryingly, the same proportion do not have a will in place. A quarter of farmers don’t have a private pension.
Comment
There’s an old saying in financial markets which is “there’s nothing like price to drive sentiment” and that is something which comes out in this year’s ifac Farm Report. 2025 was a strong year for dairy, beef and sheep prices and that is reflected in the level of positivity across the industry seen in the survey.
But, a profitable year does not cure the structural issues that farming in Ireland continues to face. According the most recent Teagasc National Farm Survey, only 6% of farms are operated by a farmer under 35, with a third operated by farmers over the age of 65. The average age of farmers in this country is 59.
This issue of getting the next generation into the industry has been a persistent challenge for farming for years.
The transfer of land remains an emotive issue, while the next generation have plenty of opportunities elsewhere for either better incomes or better work/life balances.
However, none of that is an excuse for perhaps the most damning statistic thrown up by the report – that two in five farmers do not have a will in place.
While there may be some agony over writing a will, who to leave what to etc, there is no excuse for having no will at all. It takes very little time to actually write one and the cost involved is minimal.
But, the effects from dying without a will can be huge. In even the most benign cases, it leads to a lot of extra paperwork and stress for families that are already in a stressful situation.
If there is no will, then the farm will be divided according to the Succession Act of 1965 which could see the asset split among several inheritors. If there are no blood relatives, then the farm could end up becoming property of the State.
Those challenges are multiplied when a farmer dies unexpectedly or at a young age. The ifac report includes an interview with David Heraty, a sheep farmer in Co Mayo whose father died suddenly at 54 without a will in place, which led to a raft of problems.
Heraty makes a very strong plea for young farmers to ask their parents outright if they have a will, and says that, yes, he has a will made.
Other findings
One in three farmers are unaware of their potential tax liability for 2026.70% of farmers do not prepare annual budgets for their operations.44% say renewable energy technology will have the biggest impact on their farm in the next five-ten years.84% rely on word of mouth when it comes to recruitment.30% of farmers say they are building cash reserves while a third are spending on capital investment.93% of farmers would encourage someone interested in farming to pursue a qualification in agriculture.32% of farmers are unfamiliar with the auto enrolment pension scheme.52% of farm partnerships have identified a farming successor. See ifac’s website at www.ifac.ie for the full report – or scan the QR code with your smartphone.
The ifac Irish Farm report, launched this week, reveals the mood of Irish farmers and their views on the challenges and opportunities they see for the sector.
The good news is that the industry, as a whole, is optimistic about the future. Three in five respondents indicated they are positive about the future, the highest proportion seen in the survey since 2021.
That doesn’t mean that farming is without its challenges.
The biggest concern among survey respondents remains rules and regulations, closely followed by input and output prices. Succession planning continues to be one of the most persistent challenges facing Irish farming.
It is also clear from the report that the key challenges vary greatly depending on which sector a farmer operates in. In dairying, 61% of farmers say the biggest challenge for their operation is rules, regulation and bureaucracy, with 47% saying it is input/output prices.
In contrast, five in six respondents in the tillage sector said prices are the biggest challenge.
Barriers
It is also notable how different farmers view the barriers to succession. Overall, 26% believe the biggest barriers to succession are business viability and the lifestyle not being appealing to the next generation.
That 26% breaks down between dairying and other operations, where dairy farmers are worried about how appealing the lifestyle is rather than profitability, while in beef, sheep and tillage sectors, farmers are concerned about profitability rather than attractiveness of the business.
The Survey
Over 1,000 farmers across the country participated in this year’s ifac Farm Report.
Reflecting the demographics in the industry, 53% of respondents were over 54 years old, while only 7% were under 35. Only 11% of farmers in the survey are women.
By system, 37% of those surveyed were mainly beef, 35% were mainly dairy, 10% were mainly sheep and 4% were tillage. 5% of respondents were mixed tillage and livestock.
The survey was conducted from October to November 2025.
Succession
The report includes a foreword from Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon on the topic of generational renewal. He said that generational renewal, including farm succession, is a complex issue and that there are many factors involved.
He highlighted the recommendations made by the Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming, saying that: “These recommendations will be carefully considered by an implementation group in my Department who will engage with agricultural stakeholders and the relevant public bodies.”
He said that while some of the recommendations are for consideration in the context of the next CAP, it is hoped that others can be progressed in a shorter timeframe.
The report makes clear while regulation and incentives may be helpful in easing succession, the biggest barriers are a lack of successors and fears about future income and security for older farmers.
Robert Johnson, tax partner at ifac, advises to start early with a pension, and with retirement planning, to make succession significantly easier. He makes the point that if pension payments are not large enough to maintain a farmer’s lifestyle once they turn 66 then they will be looking to continue to get money from the farm in retirement.
He said: “It’s hard to ask to get the older generation of farmers off the land if there is not enough money in the pot.”
The report found that two in five farmers do not have a formal successor in place, and more worryingly, the same proportion do not have a will in place. A quarter of farmers don’t have a private pension.
Comment
There’s an old saying in financial markets which is “there’s nothing like price to drive sentiment” and that is something which comes out in this year’s ifac Farm Report. 2025 was a strong year for dairy, beef and sheep prices and that is reflected in the level of positivity across the industry seen in the survey.
But, a profitable year does not cure the structural issues that farming in Ireland continues to face. According the most recent Teagasc National Farm Survey, only 6% of farms are operated by a farmer under 35, with a third operated by farmers over the age of 65. The average age of farmers in this country is 59.
This issue of getting the next generation into the industry has been a persistent challenge for farming for years.
The transfer of land remains an emotive issue, while the next generation have plenty of opportunities elsewhere for either better incomes or better work/life balances.
However, none of that is an excuse for perhaps the most damning statistic thrown up by the report – that two in five farmers do not have a will in place.
While there may be some agony over writing a will, who to leave what to etc, there is no excuse for having no will at all. It takes very little time to actually write one and the cost involved is minimal.
But, the effects from dying without a will can be huge. In even the most benign cases, it leads to a lot of extra paperwork and stress for families that are already in a stressful situation.
If there is no will, then the farm will be divided according to the Succession Act of 1965 which could see the asset split among several inheritors. If there are no blood relatives, then the farm could end up becoming property of the State.
Those challenges are multiplied when a farmer dies unexpectedly or at a young age. The ifac report includes an interview with David Heraty, a sheep farmer in Co Mayo whose father died suddenly at 54 without a will in place, which led to a raft of problems.
Heraty makes a very strong plea for young farmers to ask their parents outright if they have a will, and says that, yes, he has a will made.
Other findings
One in three farmers are unaware of their potential tax liability for 2026.70% of farmers do not prepare annual budgets for their operations.44% say renewable energy technology will have the biggest impact on their farm in the next five-ten years.84% rely on word of mouth when it comes to recruitment.30% of farmers say they are building cash reserves while a third are spending on capital investment.93% of farmers would encourage someone interested in farming to pursue a qualification in agriculture.32% of farmers are unfamiliar with the auto enrolment pension scheme.52% of farm partnerships have identified a farming successor. See ifac’s website at www.ifac.ie for the full report – or scan the QR code with your smartphone. 
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