Providing additional aids to young people does not address the main problem in attracting young farmers, according to Professor Alan Matthews.

Matthews, professor emeritus of European agricultural policy at Trinity College Dublin, said the “bottleneck” was the lack of older people exiting the sector or leasing land.

At the Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA) AGM, Matthews said generational renewal was not a problem in all EU countries, with “a striking difference” in the number of young farmers in some.

“I think of Austria, I think of Germany, I think of Poland. It’s interesting to ask what are they doing that other member states including ourselves are not,” he said.

Pension

Matthews used the example of Germany where farmers had a major decision to make upon reaching pension age: “You have a choice. They [Germany] would have a reasonably good social welfare pension.

“When you get to pension age, you choose if you are going to continue to get your basic payment, that means you are declaring yourself as an active farmer so you’re not going to be entitled to your pension. Only when you give up the farm do you get your pension.”

Nettle

He said many countries did not seem prepared to “grasp that particular nettle”. The Early Retirement Scheme that Ireland implemented in the last CAP was not hugely successful, Matthews said, and he did not propose looking at a similar model again.

He also stressed the importance of aid being provided to young farmers who were suitably educated and presented a business plan.

Matthews said the Young Farmers Scheme in Ireland met this requirement, but it was not the case in all member states.

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