Young farmers needs in Ireland

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1 Young farmers needs in Ireland Annex I.14 to the Pilot project: Exchange programmes for young farmers Client: European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development Rotterdam, 25 September 2015

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3 Young farmers needs in Ireland Annex I.14 to the Pilot project: Exchange programmes for young farmers Client: European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development Marie-Jose Zondag & Sacha Koppert (Ecorys Netherlands) Carolien de Lauwere (LEI-Wageningen UR) Peter Sloot (Aequator Groen & Ruimte) Andreas Pauer (Ecorys Brussels) Rotterdam, 25 September 2015 Disclaimer: The information and views set out in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission. The Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this report. Neither the Commission nor any person acting on the Commission s behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.

4 About Ecorys At Ecorys we aim to deliver real benefit to society through the work we do. We offer research, consultancy and project management, specialising in economic, social and spatial development. Focusing on complex market, policy and management issues we provide our clients in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors worldwide with a unique perspective and high-value solutions. Ecorys remarkable history spans more than 85 years. Our expertise covers economy and competitiveness; regions, cities and real estate; energy and water; transport and mobility; social policy, education, health and governance. We value our independence, integrity and partnerships. Our staff comprises dedicated experts from academia and consultancy, who share best practices both within our company and with our partners internationally. Ecorys has an active CSR policy and is ISO14001 certified (the international standard for environmental management systems). Our sustainability goals translate into our company policy and practical measures for people, planet and profit, such as using a 100% green electricity tariff, purchasing carbon offsets for all our flights, incentivising staff to use public transport and printing on FSC or PEFC certified paper. Our actions have reduced our carbon footprint by an estimated 80% since ECORYS Nederland B.V. Watermanweg GG Rotterdam P.O. Box AD Rotterdam The Netherlands T +31 (0) F +31 (0) E netherlands@ecorys.com Registration no W 2 NL

5 Table of contents 1 Introduction 5 2 Activities of young farmers 7 3 Needs of young farmers Challenges for young farmers Knowledge needs of young farmers 12 4 Needs regarding learning and communication Most used information sources Young farmers obtaining information from people and institutions 16 5 Hindrances in obtaining information 17 6 Suitability of exchange schemes Participation of young farmers in exchange schemes and their satisfaction and awareness of exchange schemes Young farmers attitudes with regard to participation in an exchange scheme Issues that hinder young farmers in participating in an exchange scheme Intention of young farmers of joining an exchange scheme Opinion of young farmers about exchange schemes 22 7 Focus group participants 23 Young farmers needs in Ireland 3

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7 1 Introduction Objective of the Pilot Project study on young farmers The Pilot Project: Exchange programmes for young farmers has been commissioned by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) to identify the needs of young farmers, get an overview of the existing exchange schemes for young farmers and develop a guide to establish or improve exchange schemes for young farmers (DG AGRI, Tender No AGRI-2012-Eval-03). The study has been implemented by Ecorys in cooperation with LEI and Aequator Groen & Ruimte in The aims of this study were: To provide a comprehensive assessment of the specific needs of young farmers across the EU: To describe and access existing schemes and initiatives for the exchange of young farmers; To identify specific results of exchange schemes and specific support measures that have proved to be effective and efficient; To provide recommendations on the design, implementation and delivery of exchange programmes and schemes. This country report on the needs of young farmers The needs analysis was performed through desk research, interviewing on average 78 farmers per EU Member State and having a focus group in each of the 28 Member States. In the focus group the results of the interviews and the needs of young farmers concerning exchange schemes were discussed. This report contains the needs analysis for Ireland, and contains: General information on young farmers (chapter two); The needs of young farmers (chapter three); The needs regarding learning and communication (chapter four); The hindrances in obtaining information (chapter five); Sustainability of the exchange schemes (chapter six); The focus group participants (chapter seven). The report is targeted at policy officers and other stakeholders interested in getting an insight into the needs of young farmers. Where to find more information The following documents can be found on the DG AGRI website: The 27 other country reports on the needs of young farmers; The Analysis on the needs of young farmers (report I); The Inventory and Analysis of exchange schemes for young farmers in EU-28 and a selected number of OECD countries (report II). Together with contact details of around 200 exchange schemes and case studies of 22 exchange schemes; A guide for successful exchange schemes for young farmers (report III). All reports can be found at: Young farmers needs in Ireland 5

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9 2 Activities of young farmers In the interviews, the young farmers were asked the following details, among others. Indicated in the table below are: The mean age of the interviewed young farmers; The % of young farmers with a Bachelors (BSc), Masters (MSc) or PhD; The mean hectares of Utilised Agricultural Area (UAA) that the respondents own or rent; The mean hectares of forestry that the respondents own or rent; The % of respondents that indicate that their farm is located in a favourable or less favourable area; The % of young farmers with organic farms. Table 2.1 Some general features of interviewed young farmers (YF) in Ireland Ireland n* EU-15 1 n New MS 2 n EU28 3 n Age (mean (std)) 29.8 (5.7) (6.0) (6.0) (6.0) % YF with high vocational education (BSc, MSc, PhD) Ha UAA owned (mean (std)) 44.7 (34.7) (309.3) (165.5) (260.9) Ha UAA rented (mean (std)) 26.7 (45.1) (156.2) (157.5) (156.7) Ha forestry owned (mean (std)) 1.1 (2.8) (106.7) (22.9) (83.2) Ha forestry rented (mean (std)) (20.9) (25.3) (22.9) % favourable area % less favourable or highly unfavourable area % YF with organic farm Source: Ecorys in cooperation with LEI and Aequator Groen & Ruimte, * n = the number of people that were interviewed in respectively Ireland, EU-15, new Member States and EU EU-15 are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. New Member States are the countries who joined the EU in or after 2004: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia. EU-28 are all Member States, both EU-15 and new Member States. Young farmers needs in Ireland 7

10 Figure 2.1 Main activities of interviewed young farmers in Ireland Main activities of interviewed young Irish farmers % of respondents field crops permanent crops grazing livestock granivores mixed crops mixed crops and livestock Source: Ecorys in cooperation with LEI and Aequator Groen & Ruimte, The figures above and below highlight the difference between the main activities of young farmers that have been interviewed and the main activities of farmers in general as included in the Eurostat statistics. Figure 2.2 Main activities of farmers in Ireland according to Eurostat Main activities of farmers in Ireland according to Eurostat field crops grazing livestock horticulture granivores mixed crops mixed livestock mixed crops and livestock Source: Farm Typology in 2010 according to the Agriculture, forestry and fisheries statistics of Eurostat (2013 Edition). 8 Young farmers needs in Ireland

11 3 Needs of young farmers The needs of young farmers have been identified through, among others: 1. Which issues they perceive as problematic, e.g. the possibility of buying land, having access to credit, having the right machinery, having seasonal workers, etc. 2. Which knowledge needs the young farmers have. 3.1 Challenges for young farmers The interviewed young farmers were asked which issues they perceive as problematic. This is shown in the figure below. OUTCOME: The interviewed young Irish farmers perceive the availability of land (to buy or to rent); subsidies, access to credit, new and useful knowledge, useful trainings, workshops; the national inheritance law and interventions of parents or other persons as more problematic than other young farmers in the EU. Figure 3.1 General needs of young farmers percentage of interviewed young farmers who perceived the issues mentioned in the figure below as problematic Availability of land to buy Availability of land to rent Subsidies Access to credits Qualified labour Machinery Other legal issues National inheritance law Access to new and useful knowledge Seasonal workers Access to useful trainings/ workshops/ networks Advice of extension services Access to insurance Interventions of my parents/ other persons Advise of private consultants % of respondents EU28 new MS EU15 Ireland Source: Ecorys in cooperation with LEI and Aequator Groen & Ruimte, Young farmers needs in Ireland 9

12 The interviewed experts indicated that the needs presented seem to be comprehensive. The main issues are related to land. In terms of land for sale, it has been noted that less than 1% of land is made available for purchase every year. Having land to enter the market does not happen often. Usually land is passed down through inheritance. This situation is combined with demographic development. There are more farmers above retirement age than under 35. Agricultural colleges produce numerous young farmers but they have difficulty accessing land and there is a succession issue. In addition, if there is no will in place, relatives step in, inherit the land and prevent its sale. Farmers tend not to retire and hold on to their land. Most of the land is made available to rent through the conacre system, which means that land is informally leased on a short-term basis. This procedure makes the situation rather unstable. Therefore, access to land is also a key problem. Young farmers either access their parents land or try to rent land through the conacre system. Besides, the average size of a farm in Ireland is 32 hectares, which is too small if a (young) farmer wishes to earn a significant income from its production. If a farm has a decent single farm payment, the farmer may be able to access credit. In addition, dairy farmers are in a better position to access credit than cattle and sheep farmers given their poor margins. Often farmers have a job outside of the farm (e.g. in construction) and their spouses may work as well. In terms of regional differences, the interviewed experts indicate that in the far North and West there are limitations due to the quality of land. Land in other parts of the country is much more arable, productive and linked to the dairy sector. The south east region provides excellent land for tillage growing. It has also been noted that there are difficulties in accessing land throughout the country. The CAP discussions previously assessed the possibility for a regional payment, however this is difficult to achieve because there are very productive farms adjacent to unproductive farms even in areas of good land quality. Moreover, there are disadvantaged areas linked to the West and mountains but the boundaries will change significantly as there is some relatively productive land currently receiving support. To try and tackle the land availability issue, the land mobility service ( was established (noted by Derry Dillon and Edmond Connolly from the Irish Young Farmers Association-Macra na Feirme). This service aims to allocate land to young farmers on the basis of collaborative arrangements. There is a lot of land in Ireland that is unproductively used by older farmers but often they are not willing to sell it. The collaborative arrangements attempt to get around this problem. However, the service only operates at a small scale at the moment. The results on Irish inheritance law seem to be rather exaggerated. It is not as much of a major problem as indicated by the questionnaire. However, the thresholds on taxation of inheritance have been reduced slightly and this may be perceived as a problem. Nevertheless, inheritance law becomes a problem when parts of extended families seek to inherit as sometimes there is no obvious successor and there may be multiple inheritors. In terms of accessing finance, it should be kept in mind that the economic and financial conditions in Ireland have been comparatively tougher than in other EU countries. This means that it has been even more difficult to get a loan especially for a young farmer with a limited credit history. However, it was noted that when young farmers try to access credit for their business, they are not in a position to borrow enough money to buy a new farm for themselves. Rather, young farmers may seek credit to buy a few more acres to expand their parents business or the business they have inherited from their parents. Also, given that the repayment capacity is not good especially for non- 10 Young farmers needs in Ireland

13 dairy farming, access to finance is difficult. In addition, lenders often require a three-year track record. On the topic of subsidies, mixed responses of the interviewed experts have been noted. One participant did not understand why subsidies would pose a problem. Farmers rely on their subsidies and they are an important part of their income. Rather, what has been problematic is the installation aid. Both the installation aid and early retirement schemes were terminated and both of these negatively impact young farmers 4. The suspension of installation aid also affects gaining access to credit. In terms of the young farmers not receiving a single farm payment, a national reserve system was used to allocate funds. However, this fund ran out of money. Therefore, some young farmers have a poor experience with subsidies. In addition, the total amount of subsidies received through single farm payment is generally adequate. However, it could be criticised as being not sufficient by some. The farmers that do not receive a single farm payment would be supported through the national reserve and this is a much lower amount than the single farm payment. Cattle and sheep farmers also depend on their subsidies. Dairy farming is more capital intensive so one requires more finance for the equipment. Banks are required for top-up funding. However, credit is difficult to access for young farmers according to the interviewed experts. Many young farmers participated in the construction sector during the boom years but many have returned to farming since the crash but don t have good incomes now. Interventions of parents are an issue as well. The age gap has narrowed over the years and is unsustainable, as now a single farm may not be able to maintain two families. There was an early retirement programme but it has been suspended. The National Pensions Policy age threshold has increased to 66 and it will increase to 67. Access to knowledge is not really a problem in Ireland given the role of advisory services. However applying new knowledge can be problematic, if new equipment or processes are required, for instance. In terms of trainings and networks, there have been big improvements and knowledge transfer measures have been proposed. Farm advisory extension services are provided in combination with public and private providers and they are considered better than in other EU countries. However, farmers have to pay for the services. Insurance is not a problem in Ireland there are general and specific agriculture sector service providers. Also, there are not many seasonal workers in the country. In terms of topics that weren t mentioned, interviewed experts emphasised that succession poses a major issue for young farmers; particularly whether or not they want to enter farming and burden of what is expected of them. Some young farmers wish to enter the business while others prefer to opt for a career that might be less demanding. They do not wish to have the hardships their parents have had or might want to have a more family-friendly career. 4 Young farmers needs in Ireland 11

14 3.2 Knowledge needs of young farmers The interviewed young farmers were asked how likely it is that they will develop the skills mentioned in the table below through trainings, courses, workshops, study groups or participation in an exchange scheme. The results are included in the figure below. OUTCOME: The interviewed young Irish farmers perceive it as more likely than other young farmers in the EU that they will develop skills to obtain specific technological knowledge for the farm, skills to develop a farm strategy, skills related to the improvement of animal welfare and networking skills. They perceive it as less likely that they will develop marketing skills and skills related to applying for subsidies and foreign languages. Figure 3.2 Knowledge needs of young farmers percentage of respondents who answered that it was likely that they will develop the skills mentioned in the table below through trainings, courses, workshops, study groups or participation in an exchange scheme Obtain specific technological knowledge necessary for the farm Develop a farm strategy Skills related to applying for subsidies/ grants/ credit Financial skills Management skills Communication skills Networking skills/ ability to create partnership Resource and nature/ environment management Marketing skills Skills related to the improvement of animal welfare Foreign languages % of respondents EU28 new MS EU15 Ireland Source: Ecorys in cooperation with LEI and Aequator Groen & Ruimte, The interviewed experts provided additional information to this graph. They mention that in other countries (like Denmark)the education system appears to cater for young farmers that go to agricultural schools and individuals that have not been brought up on farms but can gain relevant agricultural experience through technical schools. Possibly in other countries there are better ways into the industry for young individuals that will not inherit a farm. 12 Young farmers needs in Ireland

15 In terms of trainings and skills, a number of aspects were emphasised. Financial training is not readily available as indicated in the responses to the questionnaire. Communication skills have been developed through the young farmers clubs. However, young farmers tend to be less interested in joining the club. There is some tradition of networking but this needs to be improved. In terms of marketing skills, farmers seem to not see the need for it and they don t have the necessary skills either. The interviewed experts indicated the importance of stressing how essential business needs are. In this light, one aspect not mentioned in the survey is the important issue of diversification. These business skills are crucial for ensuring farm profitability. The survey results seem to be misleading when it comes to highlighting that marketing needs are not important. Marketing is a critical business skill that young farmers need to develop. From the survey it seems that farmers underestimate their current needs. Formal agricultural education and vocational education is good in Ireland and this is backed up by the farm advisory services which are regionally based. The range of training that is indicated in the survey can be accessed through dedicated providers and young farmers take advantage of them. In terms of the marketing education, farmers in Ireland tend not to engage with consumers directly. Produce is sold through cooperatives. Therefore, education mainly focuses on technical efficiency at farm level. A training need that is not currently addressed in the survey is specific training after young farmers receive their formal education, particularly during the business start-up years (1 to 10 years). Young farmers needs in Ireland 13

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17 4 Needs regarding learning and communication Young farmers were asked about their needs regarding learning and communication: Through which sources do young farmers like to obtain knowledge? Which persons or institutions are information sources for young farmers? 4.1 Most used information sources The interviewed young farmers indicated that the following sources were most used for obtaining knowledge. OUTCOME: Participation in workshops, joining a study group or network and to a lesser extent field days or excursions seem to be more important sources to obtain knowledge for the young interviewed Irish farmers than for other young farmers in the EU. Visiting fairs or exhibitions, (agricultural) trainings or courses, participation in an exchange scheme and reading and looking for information on the internet seem to be less important for them. Figure 4.1 Sources that young farmers use to obtain knowledge (% of respondents) Reading and looking for information on the internet Field days/ excursion Individual advice Visiting fairs/ exhibitions etc. (Agricultural) training or course Farmers journal Participating in workshops/ seminars/ conferences Joining a study group or network Participation in an exchange scheme Social media Participating in discussions on the internet Online training/ e-learning through the internet % of respondents EU28 new MS EU15 Ireland Source: Ecorys in cooperation with LEI and Aequator Groen & Ruimte, Young farmers needs in Ireland 15

18 4.2 Young farmers obtaining information from people and institutions The interviewed young farmers were asked from which people and institutions they obtain knowledge. The figure below presents an overview. OUTCOME: Agricultural advisors, veterinarians and research institutes seem to be more important information sources for the young interviewed Irish farmers than for other young farmers in the EU. Local government, banks and to a lesser extent buyers or customers seem to be less important information sources. This also applies to farmers associations when compared with EU-15. Figure 4.2 Information sources for young farmers Other farmers Farmers associations Agricultural consultants and advisors/ extensionists Input supplier Buyer/ customer Veterinarian Research institutes or similar Schools/ training institutes Accountants Banks Local government National government Political parties or party organisations % of respondents EU28 new MS EU15 Ireland Source: Ecorys in cooperation with LEI and Aequator Groen & Ruimte, The communication needs indicated in the survey seem adequate according to the interviewed experts. The Irish Vet is highly respected as an information source and continues to play a traditional in relation to animal illness, nutrition management, grazing performance and others. However, it was noted that there is a lack of broadband penetration, and e-training has yet to take off through colleges. Besides, the relationship with local government is often poor. There is no information exchange between local government and the agricultural sector apart from planning issues, which are sometimes problematic. Also, distrust in banks exists especially around credit services and farmers now need to speak with lenders that do not understand the sector. All in all most of the respondents concluded that agricultural communication is relatively effective and coherent in Ireland. 16 Young farmers needs in Ireland

19 5 Hindrances in obtaining information The interviewed young farmers were asked which issues were hindering them most in obtaining information, e.g. lack of time, too many sources, the language in which the information is available, the costs of the information, lack of good internet connection. The figure below describes the results. OUTCOME: For the interviewed young Irish farmers a missing or bad internet connection seems to be a more important hindrance in obtaining knowledge than for other young farmers in the EU. Lack of time, language, costs and lack of interest seem to be less important hindrances. Figure 5.1 Issues that hinder young farmers of obtaining information (% of respondents) Lack of time Too many different sources Language Costs Don t know where to find it Missing or bad internet connection Lack of interest % of respondents EU28 new MS EU15 Ireland Source: Ecorys in cooperation with LEI and Aequator Groen & Ruimte, The interviewed experts confirm that the main hindrance is time. This is because farming in Ireland is mainly animal-based or dairy farming, which is more time consuming. Dairy farmers have less time to pursue activities outside of work than arable farmers who are more prevalent elsewhere in Europe. There are other competing issues for young farmers that have an impact on their time e.g. sport and social activities. To overcome this barrier, young farmers require well packaged information that is delivered locally. They tend not to be interested in two-day events. They could give up an afternoon or an evening to an event if the topic is particularly relevant. In terms of exchanges, language barriers pose some problems but Europeans can often accommodate English speakers. There are no other barriers other than the ones discussed. Every farm has a farm advisor that is organised through Teagasc. If they require any support, for example in terms of accessing the information they need, they can speak with their advisor. Young farmers needs in Ireland 17

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21 6 Suitability of exchange schemes The young farmers were also asked about the suitability of the exchange schemes to address their knowledge needs and their interest in participating in these schemes. This was done by asking about: Participation of young farmers in exchange schemes and their satisfaction and awareness of exchange schemes; Young farmers attitudes with regard to participating in an exchange scheme; Issues that hinder young farmers in participating in an exchange scheme; Intention of young farmers to join an exchange scheme; Opinion of young farmers about exchange schemes. 6.1 Participation of young farmers in exchange schemes and their satisfaction and awareness of exchange schemes The interviewed young farmers were asked: How aware they are of existing exchange schemes in their country; If they participated in an exchange scheme; If they improved their skills after participating in an exchange scheme; If the exchange scheme taught the young farmer what he wanted to learn. The figure below presents an overview. OUTCOME: The number of interviewed young Irish farmers that did participate in an exchange scheme or is aware of an existing exchange scheme is similarly low as that of other young farmers in EU-15 and EU-28. It is higher than that of young farmers in the new Member States. Like other young farmers in the EU, young Irish farmers who did participate in an exchange scheme were enthusiastic about it. Figure 6.1 Participation of young farmers in exchange schemes and their satisfaction and awareness of exchange schemes (% of respondents) Young farmer improved skills after participation in an exchange scheme Exchange scheme taught young farmer what he wanted to learn Participation in exchange scheme? Awareness of young farmer of existing exchange scheme in his country % of respondents EU28 new MS EU15 Ireland Source: Ecorys in cooperation with LEI and Aequator Groen & Ruimte, Young farmers needs in Ireland 19

22 6.2 Young farmers attitudes with regard to participation in an exchange scheme The interviewed young farmers were asked: If they consider participating in an exchange scheme in their own country useful; If they consider participating in an exchange scheme in their own country realistic; If they consider participating in an international exchange useful; If they consider participating in an international exchange realistic. The figure below presents an overview. OUTCOME: The interviewed young Irish farmers perceive participation in (inter)national exchange schemes less often as realistic than other young farmers in the EU. They perceive participation in a national exchange scheme less useful as well. Their perception of the usefulness of participation in an international exchange scheme however is comparable to that of other young farmers in the EU. Figure 6.2 Young farmers attitudes with regard to participation in an exchange scheme Young farmers perceive participation in an exchange scheme in own country useful Young farmers perceive participation in an international exchange scheme useful Young farmers perceive participation in an exchange scheme in own country realistic Young farmers perceive participation in an international exchange scheme realistic % of respondents EU28 new MS EU15 Ireland Source: Ecorys in cooperation with LEI and Aequator Groen & Ruimte, Issues that hinder young farmers in participating in an exchange scheme The interviewed young farmers were asked which issues were hindering them most in participating in an exchange scheme, e.g. lack of time, no replacement at their farm, language barrier, the costs of the exchange, lack of knowledge on the exchange. The figure below describes the results. OUTCOME: Having no replacement on the farm and to a lesser extent lack of time and a language barrier seem to be more important hindrances for the interviewed young Irish farmers than for other young farmers in the EU. 20 Young farmers needs in Ireland

23 Figure 6.3 Issues that hinder young farmers in participating in an exchange scheme Lack of time No replacement on my farm Lack of money Language barrier Lack of knowledge % of respondents EU28 new MS EU15 Ireland Source: Ecorys in cooperation with LEI and Aequator Groen & Ruimte, Intention of young farmers of joining an exchange scheme The interviewed young farmers were asked if: They have the intention of joining an exchange scheme in their own country; They will join an exchange scheme in their own country; They have the intention of joining an exchange scheme abroad; They will join an exchange scheme abroad. The results are included in the figure below. OUTCOME: The intention of the interviewed young Irish farmers of joining an (inter)national exchange scheme seems to be lower than that of other young farmers in the EU. However, they say as often as other young farmers in EU-15 that they will join an exchange scheme abroad. Figure 6.4 Intention of young farmers of joining an exchange scheme (% of respondents) I have the intention of joining an exchange scheme in my own country I have the intention of joining an exchange scheme abroad I will join an exchange scheme abroad I will join an exchange scheme in my own country % of respondents EU28 new MS EU15 Ireland Source: Ecorys in cooperation with LEI and Aequator Groen & Ruimte, Young farmers needs in Ireland 21

24 6.5 Opinion of young farmers about exchange schemes The interviewed young farmers were asked their opinion of exchange schemes. They were asked if it would be a valuable experience for them, improve their skills (either management, marketing, networking skills), cost them a lot of time or money and if it would improve the family income or farm results. The figure below presents the results. OUTCOME: The interviewed young Irish farmers seem to be more convinced than other young farmers in the EU that participation in an exchange scheme will improve their networking and management skills. They seem to be less convinced that participation in an exchange scheme will improve their marketing skills. Figure 6.5 Opinion of young farmers about exchange schemes (% of respondents) Participation in an exchange scheme will... be a valuable experience for me improve my networking skills improve my farm results improve my management skills improve my marketing skills cost me a lot of time improve my family income cost me a lot of money % of respondents EU28 new MS EU15 Ireland Source: Ecorys in cooperation with LEI and Aequator Groen & Ruimte, In general, interviewed experts mentioned that it is a positive development that more Irish young farmers go abroad to develop their knowledge on other farms. However, given that Ireland focuses on non-intensive cattle and dairy farming, the exchanges need to be targeted on relevant countries. In the past, exchanges to New Zealand were arranged. Dairy farming in parts of Europe, such as in Austria is not that relevant to Irish farmers as it is shed and not grass based. In New Zealand, farming is similar to Ireland but it is more efficient (due to the use of machinery). In addition, diversification skills are required. In fact, long-term diversification is central to increasing profitability. 22 Young farmers needs in Ireland

25 7 Focus group participants The following people participated in the focus group: Name Organisation 1 Derry Dillon Irish Young Farmers Association-Macra na Feirme 2 Edmond Connolly Irish Young Farmers Association-Macra na Feirme 3 Caroline Lane Equipeople Ltd, Managing Director 4 Gerry Gunning Irish Farmers Association 5 Geoff Hamilton Irish Cattle and Sheep Association Reporter: Andrew Howard, Ecorys United Kingdom Date: October 2014 Young farmers needs in Ireland 23

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