Land Mobility Programme manager, John McCallister, has said that more can be done to open up agriculture for young people in Northern Ireland (NI).
“This is particularly so in the case of young people who did not inherit a farm or who do not have the financial wherewithal to buy one,” he explained.
“And, it is in this context that land mobility is playing a key role.
“Over the past four-and-a-half years, almost 14,000ac have been dedicated to long-term leasing, and other land-tenure agreements.
“These arrangements are giving young people that all-important foothold on the farming ladder,” her said.
McCallister continued:
“The momentum behind land mobility continues to grow. The progress made is all the more remarkable given the programme’s launch in the teeth of Brexit.
“This was directly followed by a global pandemic and now a deep international financial crisis.”
“The need for generational renewal within agriculture has never been greater. Food security is now a key priority and there’s no doubt that young people will be required in greater numbers than ever to make this a reality.”
Just part of the solution
But, according to McCallister, the Land Mobility Programme is only part of the solution to the challenge of generational renewal within farming in NI.
“A number of straightforward steps can be taken by the relevant authorities to help make this happen,” he explained.
“One of these would be to make it easier for young people to secure their own herd and farm-business numbers.
“The need for dynamic tax change within agriculture is also obvious.
“Steps to this end have already been taken in the Republic of Ireland, where the momentum behind farm generational renewal has increased exponentially.
“Steps must also be taken to ensure that the farm-support measures already in place for young farmers are retained and built upon.
“The intelligent use of national-reserve funding can be looked at in this context.”
Promoting land mobility
The coming weeks will see McCallister continuing to interact with all the major stakeholder groups within agriculture, in order to further promote the principles behind land mobility.
He commented:
“Significant change is coming down the track in the way that agriculture goes about its business.
“And, the industry needs large numbers of young, highly trained and motivated people to ensure that it can be put on a sustainable footing for the future.”
McCallister is also confirming that the number of ‘match-ups’ facilitated by the Land Mobility Programme continues to grow.
“Inquiries are coming in from all parts of Northern Ireland with all the main sectors represented in equal manner,” he added.