On Thursday 20 March, DAFM issued a press release headed ‘Minister Heydon awards €2.85 million to five successful EIP projects under the themes of Generational Renewal and Digital Technology’. Three of the projects announced are under the heading of ‘Generational Renewal’.

Of the three generational renewal projects announced, one has come from our own Land Mobility Service.

The Land Mobility Service EIP is being ran in conjunction with Succession Ireland, Teagasc, Lakeland Dairies, Macra and others.

This project proposes to use and demonstrate share farming as an effective generational renewal tool and will address three key objectives of the CAP Strategic Plan; farm family income, food production recognition, and support for climate ambitions.

Share farming as a method of farming is in its infancy in Ireland, our winner of the FBD young farmer of the year competition last year was Christoper Cahill form Cavan, who is himself a successful sharefarmer.

Young farmers

The Land Mobility Service is at the coal face of facilitating generational renewal, with the number of young farmers decreasing over the last few years to a new low of less than 6,000 farm holders aged 35 and under.

In 2020 the proportion of farm holders aged 35 and under was 1:16, from a CSO report launched in December 2024, we see that it now stands at 1:20.

Despite the measures in CAP and other supports available for young farmers, the trend has been going in the wrong direction.

Having said that, we in Macra welcome the news of the Land Mobility Service being selected to conduct its project with its partners that we all hope will start to reverse the trend.

We look forward to seeing progress in relation to young farmers and we also look forward to what we hope is a move from the government towards supporting young farmers.