Young farmers will have the opportunity to highlight their concerns about their future in agriculture directly to EU policymakers this week in Dublin.

A 'Youth Policy Dialogue' will be take place on September 17, with European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen, MEP Maria Walsh, and young farmers in attendance.

The event will focus on the challenges facing the next generation of livestock farmers and the practical solutions needed at both EU and national level to support generational renewal.

Young farmers in attendance will have the opportunity to put their experiences directly to Commissioner Hansen, with discussions focusing on access to land and finance, competitiveness and sustainability, and the particular challenges and opportunities facing different rural regions across Ireland.

Young farmers

MEP Walsh, a full member of the Agriculture Committee, is the European Parliament’s lead negotiator on Generational Renewal in Agriculture.

She wrote the parliament’s Report on Generational Renewal, which calls for 10% of the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to be dedicated to generational renewal.

She said: “Generational renewal is one of the biggest challenges facing European agriculture – ultimately it is a question of who will farm our land and produce our food in the decades ahead.

“That is why I am delighted to bring young farmers together with Commissioner Hansen in Dublin to put their experiences, concerns and ideas directly to the commission.”

According to the Midlands-North-West MEP, it is necessary to move beyond "just talking about generational farming", with practical solutions required.

She said: “Whether it is access to land and finance, farm succession, competitiveness, sustainability or making rural communities places where young people can build a future, we need policies that work on the ground.

“Ireland has a huge amount to contribute to this debate, particularly when it comes to the future of our livestock sector.

“I want the voices of young Irish farmers to feed directly into the European debate and into the policies that will shape the next generation of farming.”

‘Future of European agriculture’

Commissioner Hansen said: “Listening to young farmers and rural youth has been a priority for me from the start of my mandate.

“Ireland is a particularly relevant place for this dialogue, with livestock farming at the heart of so many farms and rural communities.”

He added that he looks forward to hearing “directly from the next generation”.