1 in 3 farmers intends to leave sector
One in three Irish farmers intend to leave the farming sector within the next five years, according to a major national survey which has raised concerns about farm succession, incomes and the structure of Irish agriculture.
The Agriland/Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) survey, conducted by research agency Opinions, received responses from around 2,300 farmers across all sectors, ages and regions.
The findings indicate that the prospect of farmers leaving the industry is not confined to older farmers, with 20% of those aged between 45 and 54 saying they are likely to exit within five years.
The survey also highlights concerns around succession. Of the 33% who indicated that they plan to leave farming within five years, half have no successor identified. Agriland editor Stella Meehan described the research as “one of the most enlightening pieces of research to have been conducted into the farming economy in a long time”.
“Of the 33% of farmers who indicated that they plan to exit farming over the next five years, half of them (50%) do not even have a successor identified,” Ms Meehan said.
She added that “60% of farmers are fearful of even bringing up the discussion on succession”, while three in 10 said they would not discuss the subject at all.
Cliff edge
ICMSA president Denis Drennan said the results indicate that the sector is approaching a “cliff edge”, with exits potentially far outnumbering new entrants and resulting in fewer but larger farms.
Income volatility emerged as a major barrier to attracting people into farming, with 77% of respondents identifying it as a major obstacle and 45% citing unpredictable farm incomes as the single biggest barrier. Mr Drennan said the finding was unsurprising given the alternatives available to younger people: “We have, effectively, a full employment economy, and fewer and fewer young people are going to choose farming over a career in pharma or tech or anything else with the absolute certainty that you’ll be working much longer hours with no degree of predictability about what you might earn,” he said.
The survey also found that 80% of farmers expect their income to decrease over the coming year. Rules, regulations and bureaucracy were identified as a major obstacle to new entrants by 68%, followed by access to land at 49% and environmental constraints at 48%.
Almost half of respondents, 47%, said they had not taken leisure time off in more than a year.
Cavan IFA chair Owen Brodie said he was not surprised by the findings and called for greater government support for farmers. He said farmers were under pressure from increased bureaucracy, carbon taxes and rising fuel and fertiliser costs, arguing that government was not listening sufficiently to their concerns.
The findings have prompted political reaction, with Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy describing the situation as a “looming crisis in Irish agriculture”. He called for government action on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), prices and support for farming families.
Senator Joe O’Reilly (FG) also stressed the importance of certainty for farmers through the CAP.
“Farmers across rural communities like Cavan need certainty through a Common Agricultural Policy that recognises the vital contribution they make to our economy, our food supply and our rural communities.”
Senator O’Reilly said a properly funded CAP was essential to maintaining a resilient farming sector capable of producing high-quality food while meeting environmental responsibilities.
The survey also found that 94% of farmers believe the public does not understand modern farming and the challenges facing the sector, while 60% said the public does not understand the reasons behind rising food prices.
With more than a third of the farming community intending to cease their business within the next five years, it has become clear that the composition of Irish agriculture will be significantly overhauled. Rather than spreaded farms we are moving towards large-scale agricultural enterprises.