More emphasis needs to be put on supporting the farmers who are closer to retirement in farm succession talks, Emma Dillon of Teagasc has said.

“I think we need to focus a bit more on the existing farmer. A lot of the talk at the moment is around the new entrant and the barriers to getting in, but I think there are lots of farmers who actually want to retire but maybe aren’t in a position to because they don’t have a successor, or the successor is away.

“We often hear about difficulties in access to land, finance and ownership.

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“I think the incumbent farmer gets forgotten in a lot of discussion - their identity, their withstanding in the community.

“In our small farm survey two years ago, we asked the question around future trajectory and there was a huge interest in environmental schemes and organics.

“I think we need to have a discussion around the provision of public goods and how we can support farmers to do that because there is a willingness among some farmers to keep farming.

“It’s not a case of displacing one for another or changing systems, it’s not that straightforward.

“This is not a one-size-fits all. It needs to adapt to the farm system, but also the farm family.

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“There is potential for collaborative arrangements and partnerships to work really well – where you have knowledge exchange and the experienced farmer remains involved over a number of years and the new entrant comes and may have some ideas.

“They can work together in partnership and there are financial incentives to do that.”

Dillon acknowledged that while they are not for everyone, it is important to have choice, that each farmer can make their own decision around what will suit them.

“A lot of farmers that come to Teagasc events don’t have a successor, and for them it is preferable to sell the land and leave it.

“I think long-term leasing arrangements have probably changed the dynamic a bit too,” she said.

“All these options need to be considered in a country where you have huge attachment of the land and a lot of social complications around the transfer of it.”