Young farmers must adapt or perish, warns Macra leader

MACRA na Feirme president Colm Markey reflected on the future of Irish agriculture as he walked his farmyard at Dudderstown in County Louth on a Saturday evening last September, having closed in the cows after milking.

The young farmers’ leader had reason to think about the future. He was to deliver a speech on the subject in Mullingar in Co Westmeath a few nights later.

The dairy, beef and tillage farmer, elected president of Macra na Feirme a few months earlier, impressed farming and agri-business leaders at the Young Farmer of the Future award presentations with his speech.

He repeated what many others had been saying - agriculture is at a major crossroads in Ireland.

But he has a vision for young farmers based on factual realism.

“For over 30 years, since we joined the EU, we have had a variety of production-based supports that has allowed us build our businesses in a consistent and stable fashion.

“Now, however, we are facing into a time of much greater uncertainty, with market instability, ever increasing regulation and stiff competition from low cost competitors,” says Mr Markey.

“At a time like this, people often say that you have to have a positive outlook, be optimistic and everything will be all right in the long run. I don’t believe in idle optimism.

“I believe you have to be realistic about the many challenges that face us, whether it’s the nitrates directive, cheap Brazilian beef imports or an ever increasing cost base.”

Mr Markey says farmers have to be prepared to ask some deep and challenging questions about efficiency, how they can justify their work on their farms and how they will use their single farm payment.

“As farmers, we are the chief executives of our own business. The buck stops with us. We have to work to ensure a similar return on our investment as can be got in other industries.”

Mr Markey believes farmers need to ensure they have good business plans and a vision of what they want to achieve.

“We need to be open minded to change, constantly reviewing, ready to adapt to any potential opportunities or problems.

“We need to invest in technology to streamline in terms of scale and labour efficiency.

“After all, it is not about the time you spend farming. It is about how efficiently you use your time when you are farming.”

Mr Markey warns there is a serious doubt whether Europe can be relied upon to support farming as it has in the past.

“It is now vital that we take a cold hard look at our industry and where it is going,” he said.

He points out that Macra has always had two main goals - getting young people established on farms in their own right and then ensuring they have a viable future in farming.

The Macra leader said that while agriculture was still very important to the Irish economy, it was difficult for young farmers to have confidence in an industry that was dogged by poor prices.

“Young farmers are just as focused as any other business people. They won’t stay farming purely for the love of the land.”