Over half of successful applicants to the Tier 1 capital grant scheme were under 40 years of age, according to a new report published by DAERA.

In the third tranche of the scheme which opened in December 2020, official figures show that 52% of participants were under 40 years of age.

In the second tranche in 2018, under 40s made up 60% of successful applicants and they made up 48% of grant recipients in the first tranche back in 2016.

Under the points-based system that DAERA use to rank Tier 1 applications, five points are available for applicants under 40 years old.

While the extra points have helped get younger farmers over the line, it also encourages any partner in a farm business that is under 40 to be named as the main Tier 1 applicant.

The Tier 1 capital grant scheme is funded by the Rural Development Programme (RDP) and the new DAERA report states there was a significant uptake of RDP-funded schemes among younger farmers.

Overall, 31% of participants across all RDP-funded schemes were under 40 years of age, which compares to only 8% of farmers in NI being under 40. For example, Business Development Groups proved popular among younger farmers, with 44% of members being under 40 years old.

Female

The report also highlights that 15% of RDP participants were female.

This compares to only 4% of farmers in NI being female, although females account for 24% of the overall NI farming workforce when all family labour is considered.

Looking at female participation within specific RDP-funded farm schemes, it stands at 5% for both the Business Development Group initiative and the Tier 1 capital grant scheme.

With a participation rate of 27%, the most popular RDP scheme for females was the LEADER programme. This scheme provides funding for community and business projects in rural areas.