Land Mobility and Transfer

J DEERE

Reading The Farmers Journal this evening and noticed that Macra are looking to recruit a Land Mobility Programme Manager. It got me thinking about the situation which exists in Ireland at the minute.

Just wondering how many of ye here own the farm you work or are in complete control of the finances at home? What age were you when you took over or are you still waiting for the day to come?

I ask as someone who left Ireland last year. I would love to be back home farming but at this moment in time it's not possible. My father is still a relatively young man in his 50s and with younger siblings at home in second and third level education, he is reliant on the farm as a source of income. He also has to work off-farm. It was always the intention that he would take the early retirement once he was 55 but that was abolished before we had a chance. For the last few years I was running the place and making most of the decisions. It's just when the money came in, by the time bills and everything were covered, there wasn't enough to give me a wage. That never bothered me as I always had off farm work somewhere but when that dried up last year I was faced with a dilemma of staying, working for nothing and waiting until my mid 30s to take over or look for other options. I've been in touch weekly with my father and I know how tough this winter has been. I can't help but feel it might have been easier if I was at home

It leads me to wonder how many people have found themselves in my position. How many enthusiastic, educated young farmers are being held back or being forced to emigrate for reasons similar to mine? For those that stay, is the enthusiasm and drive that they had in their 20s gone by the time they take over in their 30s and 40s? With the ambitious targets set for 2020 we have yet to be provided with a realistic and clear solution to this problem facing young farmers.

Macra and IFA have been making noise about it but that seems to be about all they've managed to do. It would be interesting to see if the early farm retirement and installation aid paid for themselves through increased output on farms and less young farmers claiming unemployment as well as less farms seeking Farm Assist. Our agricultural colleges and their waiting lists full with young farmers optimistic about a future in agriculture. How many of these students face emigration or the dole for the reasons outlined?

royalmeath

Food harvest 2020 is being shown up for the load of crap it is at the minute when farmers cannot feed the stock they already have. Any farmer should se his own targets and work towards them not some nonsensical whim dream up by pen pushers who have very little practical experience.

galway 4 sam

What page is it on?

Conmaicne Mara

royalmeath wrote: »

Food harvest 2020 is being shown up for the load of crap it is at the minute when farmers cannot feed the stock they already have. Any farmer should se his own targets and work towards them not some nonsensical whim dream up by pen pushers who have very little practical experience.

I've heard FH2020 described as not necessarily an increase in numbers, but an increase in the income of farms or rather that it was the value of Ag that was being looked at, not only the numbers of stock involved.

Whether that's true or a load of piddle I can't tell you, I would like it if were true.