Meat Industry Ireland (MII) has joined farm organisations and others in raising its concerns about the succession challenges in Ireland and across the EU.

Its beef and sheep processing members agree with proposals for incentivised partnerships between older and younger farmers.

“For instance, older beef or sheep farmers could be encouraged to participate in the programme through tax incentives,” Síle Sweeney, spokesperson for MII, told the Irish Farmers Journal.

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“Many of these farmers wish to remain involved in farming to some extent. To accommodate this, a structured farm partnership model should be developed.

“Under such a partnership, the older farmer would transfer a portion of the farm to a younger farmer for active management, while retaining a share of the land and receiving support from the younger farmer in their continued farming activities.”

MII highlighted the sheep sector as an area of real need.

“The national sheep flock has been declining annually, and generational renewal is virtually non-existent despite the sector’s improved profitability in recent years,”

“Establishing a ewe flock presents a relatively low-cost entry point for young farmers, due to minimal housing requirements and the relatively low cost of foundation stock.”

Supplement

MII also called for a supplemental payment of €10/ewe for young farmers under the Sheep Welfare Scheme for young farmers, and an increase in the TAMS reference costs and grant rates for fencing and sheep equipment.

It suggested that setting up a calf-rearing facility could be a start up business for young farmers as part of the family farm, or in a stand-alone business.

“It will allow them to start a farming business with minimal land requirement, it would be based on a contract-rearing model, therefore aiding cashflow and minimise the need to invest in livestock.

“In time this would allow these young farmers to begin to rear their own livestock with the money made from the contract rearing,” the MII spokesperson said.