“The proportion of farmers under 45 has shifted to 20.8% in 2020 from 33.1% in 1991.” That sentence was the one that stood out most to me from the Food Vision Beef and Sheep report.

It highlighted the changes in rural demographics that have been factors when it comes to succession and also in relation to reducing labour availability on farms.

If that rate of decline continues over the next 30 years, it will mean the number of farmers under 45 drops closer to 10%.

The remit of Food Vision goes to 2030 but that statistic should focus minds on what path there will be for Irish livestock farming in 2050. Those involved need to be mindful that they are not just focusing policy decisions on how things are now but on how things might be in future.

While the focus was on reducing emissions within the livestock sector, the influence of labour availability and succession will affect the adoption of some of the 21 measures mentioned in the report.

Measures 8 and 9 on voluntary reductions in suckler cow numbers have grabbed the headlines and created most reaction. I don’t know if those measures deserved as much attention as they received. Suckler numbers were always likely to decrease with dairy quota abolition, but they will always have a significant presence given their ability to convert marginal land into a form of edible protein.

Before the Food Vision Beef and Sheep group had their first meeting, suckler cow numbers had been reducing by an average rate of 20,328 per year since 2012, according to ICBF statistics up to 1 June. In the same timeframe the dairy herd has increased by 43,743 cows each year. So, every suckler cow that left was replaced by 2.15 dairy cows.

Beef farming is by far the most diverse sector in Irish agriculture

On average dairy farms are much more economically viable than beef ones but the twin challenges around labour and succession are present there too and may have more of an impact on that sector.

Measure 20, regarding the development of enhanced integration between the beef and dairy sectors, will require more attention, particularly if there is any change regarding live exports in future.

Joined-up thinking between dairy and beef would make sense but that’s going to require attitude changes on both sides.

Beef farming is by far the most diverse sector in Irish agriculture. It’s practised across a range of land types, the scale in terms of farm size and animal numbers differ greatly among those involved and there’s a variety of vested interests with a say in how things should be done.

Strong interest

There is a strong interest in beef cattle breeding – just look at the numbers who have attended the livestock and fat stock shows over the last few weeks. How that translates into commercial farms in the future is uncertain. Income aspirations, input costs and access to land are all variables that will differ depending on where in the country you are.

The other standout for me was Measure 11, recommending the establishment of robust methodologies for measuring and monitoring greenhouse gas emissions and removals at individual farm level.

I went through the measures and applied them to my own farm but I have no way of knowing what impact they will have, let alone a baseline figure. There’s work ahead.