A large chunk of new arrangements facilitated by the Land Mobility Service last year were leases. Of the 116 new arrangements made, just over a third were lease agreements.

A further 27% of the arrangements were farm to farm, including contract rearing agreements.

Meanwhile, there were 26 share farming arrangements and 19 partnerships facilitated by Macra’s Land Mobility Service. The figures will be published in the Land Mobility 2020 report later this year, Irish Country Living understands.

Since the service started in 2015, it has helped to facilitate 637 arrangements, covering more than 56,000ac. Some 41% of the arrangements made are leases.

Arrangements

Farm to Farm (contract rearing, contract production): 112

Share farming: 144

Partnerships: 118

Long leases: 263

The overwhelming majority of arrangements were made on dairy farms, accounting for 61%. This is followed by beef on 25%, tillage on 12% and the remaining 2% had sheep as the principal farming enterprise.

In terms of the Land Mobility Service clients, 45% are farmers looking to to retire, 29% are expanding farmers and 26% are new entrants.

“The vast bulk of the services activity is outside the family, family progression will tend to happen anyway and is supported by the family accountant or advisor, hence not requiring this type of service,” a briefing to stakeholders states.

“The service has been very effective where there is no realistic family option or the family option is not straightforward, for example due to lack of scale or expertise.”