Retirement scheme must result in higher numbers of young active farmers

Discussions are ongoing in The Food Vision Dairy Group regarding the ways in which Dairy farmers and the wider agriculture sector can stabilize its emissions profile.  

Brief discussions were had regarding what a potential retirement scheme may look like with no concrete proposals or specific detail around rollout or funding.  

For a number of years, Macra na Feirme has highlighted that a retirement scheme is needed across all the farming sectors to ensure financial security for the farmer who is stepping back but also that the necessary supports are in place to allow a young person to take on the responsibility of running the farming enterprise.  

In the event that a retirement scheme is developed and rolled out it must be adequately funded and must ensure that the farming business that remains offers the opportunity for a young person to take on the business, develop it and grow in order to provide a viable income and quality of life.  

Against the backdrop of food security concerns and projected lower food output across certain parts of the globe, ensuring that land and resources are made available to young people is paramount to ensuring food is produced and where better than in Ireland by Irish family farms.  

“We currently have about 6% of farmers under the age of 35. In any other sector be that teachers, nurses, doctors if only 6% of the workforce were under 35 drastic action would be taken and significant resource invested. Farming should be no different and an entire suite of measures are needed to grow the figure from 6%” commented John Keane, Macra na Ferime National President.