The number of young farmers involved in farming by 2027 will be the “litmus test for the success of this CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) and its delivery on the objective of generational renewal”, according to Macra na Feirme.

A delegation from Macra, along with other organisations, met with the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine officials in the Backweston facility this week.

Leading the delegation, Macra national president John Keane insisted on the delivery of a CAP that will deliver for young farmers and their futures.

“The number of young farmers involved in farming by 2027 will be the litmus test for the success of this CAP,” he said.

“That target will be required by the EU Commission and will be the department’s best chance of getting the CAP Strategic Plan through the Brussels system.

“The department must deliver on the suite of measures proposed by Macra to address barriers to entry for young people entering the agriculture sector.”

Keane said the department must set targets for the number of young farmers in Ireland, because “we can’t manage what we don’t measure”.

“There are targets for everything but there are no targets in place for the farmer demographics make-up at the end of this CAP,” Macra chief executive Denis Duggan said.

“It is unthinkable that the sector would remain at 5% or less of farmers under 35 over the life of this CAP.”

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and Central Statistics Office (CSO) data indicate that the overall national workforce is made up of a minimum of 30% of young people under the age of 35, Macra noted. 

Agriculture and farming are a “complete outlier” with 5% of farmers under the age of 35.

Macra has made an “impassioned plea with the minster” to ensure that the sector is “dynamic and vibrant” by setting a target to have at least 30% of farmers under 35, similar to other sectors of the economy.  

On a carbon cessation scheme which was recently “floated”, Macra said it strongly believes that the scheme as it is outlined “is not viable for encouraging the next generation of young farmers coming into the sector”, John Keane added.

“This is a non-runner for young farmers. It is effectively taking land out of agriculture altogether, rather than a retirement scheme. 

“If the department [is] serious about a carbon cessation scheme, there has to be measures within it that allow an older farmer to enter the scheme, and also allow a young farmer to enter farming.  

“Macra’s land mobility service is a complementary service that can facilitate such an on-farm succession scheme.”

Impact of CAP cuts to farm incomes

Following the same meeting, IFA president Tim Cullinan said the minister “has no proposals to address the enormous income losses experienced by a cohort of our most productive farmers” under the CAP proposals.

“The minister needs to come forward with additional funding to support the farmers who are being savaged by the combined effect of eco-schemes, convergence and CRISS [Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability] on their incomes,” he said. 

“The minister has decided to cut every farmer’s basic payment by 25% to fund eco-schemes when it could be less than 20% due to the level [of] Ireland’s environmental spend as part of Pillar II.

“These eco-schemes are new, and they are a leap into the unknown. It would be far better to reduce the level of funding set aside for them and leave as much money as possible in the basic payment,” he concluded.