Minister McConalogue’s proposed Commission on Generational Renewal has been met with a mixed reaction from the farm organisations.
Ireland’s problem with farm succession is well documented. The most recent CSO Census of Agriculture, conducted in 2020, confirmed what we can see at any farm walk, mart or farmer gathering.
Back in 1991, 33.1% of all farm holders were under the age of 45, but by 2020 this had fallen dramatically to 20.8%. The erosion of the industry’s lifeblood continues today.
The minister has said he wants the new commission to consider whether there are any unintended barriers to entry for young people.
We already know the main barriers; farm income and viability, access to and the rising cost of land, and the reluctance of older farmers to leave behind what they see as their personal identity and worth.
It’s within the minister’s power to address some of these immediately through tax and policy changes. There have been many calls for an attractive farm retirement scheme that would see two generations collaborate without the older generation feeling redundant.
Let’s hope the new commission does not follow the well-worn path of the many forums and expert groups before it, becoming little more than a talking shop.
Meanwhile, there are still several thousand ‘forgotten farmers’ who lost out on key farm payments in 2008 who are still waiting for the minister to come good on his promise to deliver a scheme for them.
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