Farmers continue to leave land, says survey

THE age structure of farmers has improved during the past decade, according to a recent Teagasc report.

It’s a statistic that has a ring of desperation about it given the continuing pressure facing the sector highlighted in the 2000 Census of Agriculture which shows the slightly better profile of 13% of Irish farmers under 35 against the EU average of 11%.

Again the Teagasc survey shows 20% of Irish farmers doing well in the over 65 category compared to 28% for the European Union as a whole.