Macra has announced that it will host a series of public meetings next week focused on the issue of generational renewal.
Currently, 4.3% of farm holders are aged 35 and under, this is a decrease from the 2020 level of 6.9%.
Elaine Houlihan, Macra president, said that “the decreases that we are seeing in the numbers of young farmers are worrying”.
“Were the rate of decrease to continue, it will be within my generations lifetime that there will be no more young farmers,” she added.
Macra
Macra is currently putting together its submission for the Commission on Generational Renewal.
The commission, which is led by chair of Ornua, Aidan O’Driscoll, was established by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue in October.
The seven-member group has been tasked with assessing all issues relating to generational renewal and producing a report which is due to be submitted before the end of June 2025.
“As part of this submission we are conducting a wide public consultation with our members and non-members alike who are interested in the future of agriculture in this country.
“Everyone is welcome to attend these consultations as we need as many people as possible to come next week to express there views on generation renewal to ensure we secure a future for agriculture in Ireland,” Houlihan said.
The schedule for the public consultation meeting, which all begin at 7:30p.m, are as follows:
- Monday, January 13: Hillgrove Hotel Leisure & Spa, Old Armagh Road, Monaghan, H18 RK15
- Wednesday, January 15: Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel, Adare, County Limerick
- Thursday, January 16: Langton Hotel Kilkenny, 69 John Street, Kilkenny
“The policies that have been pursued over the past years have not worked, rejigging them and expecting a different result will not work either,” the Macra president said.
“We need our membership and the public to let us know what they expect from the commission, what they want us to say to the commission, after all it is our future that is at stake,” Houlihan added.