Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has announced his intention to establish a commission on generational renewal in farming.

Speaking ahead of Tullamore Show in Butterfield Estate, Co Offaly, the Minister said that encouraging young people into agriculture is a global challenge.

“I expect the European Commission to publish its proposals for a post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in mid-2025.

"Against this background, this is an appropriate time to consider whether the framework currently in place provides support to young farmers thinking of entering the sector and effectively encourages generational renewal,” he said.

Initiatives

The Minister said that Government has already put in place a range of supports for young farmers, including support for farm partnerships, the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers, higher rates of grants for capital investment on farm, increased access to finance and significant agri taxation reliefs.

“These are positive initiatives, but the time has come to have an honest and absolutely objective look at this, including the supports in place, to consider whether those measures are having the desired effect, how supports might best be configured to encourage generational renewal, for example through land transfers and succession planning.

“Farm succession is a complex area and there are many factors that impact farmers’ decisions. We need to properly assess this and consider whether there are any unintended barriers to entry for young people under the current regime,” he said.

Expertise

With this in mind, he said he intends to establish a group with the relevant expertise and experience to take an objective and robust evidence-based look at all of the factors in play to ensure that there is a well-researched basis for us to make optimal use of the policy tools available to encourage young people into the sector.

“I remain committed to the development of a vibrant and sustainable farm sector in Ireland. Young people and new entrants are central to that endeavour.

"My intention is to make generational renewal a central feature of our preparations for a new CAP. We must ensure that we take the time now to properly prepare, with all of the necessary analysis and intelligence, to ensure that the policy framework is as effective as it can be,” he said.

Macra

In response, Macra president Elaine Houlihan said that "on the face of it, this is action by the Minister for Agriculture to address the lack of young farmers in Ireland and the threat that this brings to Irish food production".

Macra has been campaigning on succession for several years. In 2015, it established the Land Mobility Service to match farmers who wanted to retire with young farmers who were seeking access to land.

In the Macra pre-budget submission this year, it highlighted the need for a pilot succession scheme that is needed to encourage more young people to consider agriculture as a future career.

Houlihan said that in “the last round of Common Agricultural Policy, there was not one single euro allocated for farm succession supports. Macra and our members are not willing to wait to see what CAP 2027 brings, we need more than a committee.”