Increasing top-up payments for young female farmers and pushing the percentage of TAMS funding for all female farmers are just some of the recommendations being put forward by the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) as part of its submission on the Agri-Food Strategy 2030.

The NWCI has insisted that concrete measures are needed in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and at Government level to support female farmers.

It has pointed to the consistently low percentage of female farm ownership in Ireland at just 12% (16,100) since 2010. Overall, Ireland has the fifth lowest number of female farmers in Europe, despite CSO figures showing that over one-quarter of those working on farms (71,700) are women.

Farm succession is highlighted as a huge barrier to female farm ownership and the submission detailed the low number of female young farmers and showed that 31% of female farmers are over 80 years of age.

It welcomed Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue’s commitment to gender equality on farms but pointed out that the Department of Agriculture had not taken part in the Gender and Equality Budgeting pilot project.

It explained that there were very few areas except agriculture where 90% of public investment is going to one gender and urged the Department to take action.

Recommendations

  • Eligible young female farmers under 40 should receive a 35% top-up grant.
  • All joint farm partnerships where a woman is a named partner should receive a 60% TAMs grant.
  • A top-up payment should be provided to KT groups under the next CAP who have at least three women participants. This top-up payment should be in the region of 15% per participant.
  • Pillar II pilot scheme that would directly address women in agriculture, focusing on land mobility and installation aid for young female farmers.
  • Department of Agriculture target to reach a 25% sole or joint female farm ownership

    level within the next CAP strategic plan.

  • Promote and report on women in leadership roles in the agri-food sector, including

    improving gender balance in stakeholder organisations and State and company boards

    in the sector.