Elaine Houlihan from Athlacca, Co Limerick, is currently the only candidate to declare for the 49th Macra presidential election.

The 27-year-old physiotherapist has served as vice-president of Macra in Munster for the last two years and hails from a suckler and calf-to-beef enterprise.

Nominations for president will close on Wednesday 1 March at 5pm and if no one else declares between now and then, the south Limerick woman will be next in line for president.

If successful, she will succeed Laois dairy farmer John Keane at the AGM in May.

“My big thing is to have a voice for all young people. We [Macra] do have a strong voice for young farmers but I think it’s important to remember everybody.

“I can really relate to those leaving Ireland saying there’s nothing here for them, because I was one of those,” she told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Houlihan studied physiotherapy in the Netherlands for four years and then moved to India where she did some voluntary work.

“When I came home, I fell straight back into Macra and it got me really embedded into the community,” she said.

Houlihan said that since launching her presidential campaign and contacting clubs across the country, the reception has been all positive.

Vice-presidential election

Meanwhile, the race for three vice-presidents in Munster, Leinster and the northwest appears to be a lot hotter.

It is understood two candidates are running for vice-president in both Munster and the northwest and just one candidate is believed to be running for vice-president of Leinster.