Handing over the farm, generational renewal, farm succession – whatever you want to call it, the process is slow in Ireland.
The latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show that 37.8% of Irish farmers are aged 65 or older, while just 4.3% are aged 35 or under. It’s not an age profile that speaks of a thriving, attractive occupation.
That said, we’re not alone. Eurostat figures show that Europe’s farming population is very similar, with 33.2% aged 65 or over and 6.5% aged 35 or under. Over 3m farmers have retired across Europe without someone to replace them.
European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen has highlighted that this is a threat to European food production, pledging to address the barriers that make it difficult or unattractive for young farmers to enter or stay in the sector.
Those barriers are easily identified; access to land, access to finance, and for many well-educated young people, the lifestyle and rewards that traditional farming offers in comparison to an off-farm job.
But there are barriers for the older generation too, with income being a huge one. There is also the often unspoken but keenly felt loss of identity that farmers fear from retirement.
Earlier this year, Minister Heydon told the Irish Farmers Journal that succession was one of his key objectives as Minister for Agriculture.
“We need viable pathways for young farmers to get into farming; to look at the supports that exist and review them with a very open mind. We similarly have to look at barriers, like access to land.
“But you can’t have the conversation just about being young trained farmers and not talk about supporting the generation who have given a lifetime of service to the sector, who have a huge amount of corporate knowledge and a lot to give,” he said.
He suggested that he wanted to facilitate older farmers to step back but not stop farming completely.
Over the next four weeks, the Irish Farmers Journal will talk to many at the coalface of agriculture about what the solutions to Ireland’s ageing farmer population could be, and what supports are needed to transform farming into an appealing career choice.
The series will encompass the Irish Farmers Journal in print, and digital articles on farmersjournal.ie, as well as multiple succession podcasts and videos.
Here are some of the articles in this week's series:
Farming partnership keeps dairy farm in full flowHigh expectations of generational renewal report as budget looms. The long term goal was always to set up my own herd. Solicitor Aisling Meehan writes about the different options for collaborative farming and succession planning. Dear Miriam: 'The future of our farm has my two sons at loggerheads'€300 succession training payment for farmers in RAISE project.
Handing over the farm, generational renewal, farm succession – whatever you want to call it, the process is slow in Ireland.
The latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show that 37.8% of Irish farmers are aged 65 or older, while just 4.3% are aged 35 or under. It’s not an age profile that speaks of a thriving, attractive occupation.
That said, we’re not alone. Eurostat figures show that Europe’s farming population is very similar, with 33.2% aged 65 or over and 6.5% aged 35 or under. Over 3m farmers have retired across Europe without someone to replace them.
European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen has highlighted that this is a threat to European food production, pledging to address the barriers that make it difficult or unattractive for young farmers to enter or stay in the sector.
Those barriers are easily identified; access to land, access to finance, and for many well-educated young people, the lifestyle and rewards that traditional farming offers in comparison to an off-farm job.
But there are barriers for the older generation too, with income being a huge one. There is also the often unspoken but keenly felt loss of identity that farmers fear from retirement.
Earlier this year, Minister Heydon told the Irish Farmers Journal that succession was one of his key objectives as Minister for Agriculture.
“We need viable pathways for young farmers to get into farming; to look at the supports that exist and review them with a very open mind. We similarly have to look at barriers, like access to land.
“But you can’t have the conversation just about being young trained farmers and not talk about supporting the generation who have given a lifetime of service to the sector, who have a huge amount of corporate knowledge and a lot to give,” he said.
He suggested that he wanted to facilitate older farmers to step back but not stop farming completely.
Over the next four weeks, the Irish Farmers Journal will talk to many at the coalface of agriculture about what the solutions to Ireland’s ageing farmer population could be, and what supports are needed to transform farming into an appealing career choice.
The series will encompass the Irish Farmers Journal in print, and digital articles on farmersjournal.ie, as well as multiple succession podcasts and videos.
Here are some of the articles in this week's series:
Farming partnership keeps dairy farm in full flowHigh expectations of generational renewal report as budget looms. The long term goal was always to set up my own herd. Solicitor Aisling Meehan writes about the different options for collaborative farming and succession planning. Dear Miriam: 'The future of our farm has my two sons at loggerheads'€300 succession training payment for farmers in RAISE project. 
SHARING OPTIONS