Missing animals but not the work
It is even harder for farmers, working close to nature, in tune with the seasons and the cycle of birth, life and decay, as they till the land, watch crops grow and care for their animals.
Yet, voluntary retirement for many farmers from their inherited or acquired attachment to the land comes earlier than for most others, thanks to the Scheme of Early Retirement from Farming (ERS), jointly funded by the EU and the national exchequer, and administered by the Department of Agriculture and Food.
It was first introduced in 1994 as part of the Common Agricultural Policy reform. A new version was introduced in 2000, under the CAP Rural Development Plan.
There are currently about 9,000 participants in the ERS, which encourages farmers between the ages of 55 and 65 to retire early and receive a pension in order to facilitate the early transfer of holdings to young people.
Now, the first detailed study of its kind has revealed the experiences, needs and resources of retired farmers. (However, the farmers were interviewed last summer, before the disturbing proposals to reform the Common Agricultural Policy, which created major worries for retired farmers who leased their land to non-family lessors. Obviously, these worries are not reflected in the survey.)
The study of a representative sample of Co Limerick’s 878 ERS participants was researched by geographer Dr Caitriona Ni Laoire, UCC, a native of Ballingeary, Co Cork, and Mike Doody, a farm leader from Monagea in West Limerick, who initiated the project.
“Life After Farming” was funded and published by the West Limerick Resources partnership company, and was launched in Newcastlewest by Minister of State Tim O’Malley.
Research was based on a sample of 89 farmers who had taken early retirement. The average age at which farmers retire in West Limerick is 59, and almost a third of those retiring are women.
It was found that almost a fifth (19%) of those surveyed are now relying solely on the ERS pension for their income.
This has resulted in income problems, because the pension didn’t increase since it was started nearly 10 years ago.
Retiring farmers get up to €13,500 per year, which is not index linked, and is subject to income tax.
In real terms, given the high rates of inflation in recent years, its value has fallen.
But the Limerick research found significant health benefits, both mental and physical, associated with the ERS, due to reduced stress and physical labour.
Over 80% of the survey respondents were either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their present quality of life.
Local general practitioners support this finding. One said early retirement has a clear beneficial effect on farmers’ health.
Another noted that many farmers stop visiting the doctor after they retire, as stress levels fall, and health and happiness increase. But they both qualified these statements, pointing out risks to health of other consequences of early retirement.
Mike Doody agreed that there are problems related to the sudden change in lifestyle and being cut off from farm work.
“Some farmers are finding it hard to cut themselves off from the type of work they have been doing all their lives.
“There can be tension in the new set up, or they can feel isolated, with too much time on their hands, which can often lead to loneliness and depression,” he said.
The report itself records that most respondents said they missed the cattle, and tasks such as milking, feeding calves and breeding livestock.
Under the rules of the retirement scheme, they are not allowed to have contact with farm animals, despite having worked with them all their lives.
“They will probably have build up strong attachments to their animals, and to suddenly cease contact with them may have a negative effect”, said Mr Doody.
“As one GP states, most would find that the cattle are very important to them and losing them is like a bereavement.”
One farmer in the survey described the effect on him when the family’s herd of 80 cows and 50 heifers was lost through a disease outbreak.
“The two worst days of my life were the day my mother died and the day the cows left the yard. And that’s not an exaggeration. I remember loading the cows and walking out after the lorry, and looking back and nothing behind you. It is devastating.”
Although that case does not refer to the effects of retirement, it illustrates farmers’ emotional investment in animals.
The report stresses, however, that most retirees are satisfied with their quality of life and do not miss the drudgery, responsibility and stress of farm work. There are aspects of farm work that are missed, and contact with animals is one.
In practice, many retirees occasionally help out on the family farm, in cases where a family member is the transferee.
This tendency to break the rules of the scheme, despite the severe consequences of being found to do so, was discussed in the focus groups.
One participant spoke about a time when he had given advice to his son at a difficult time on the farm, and had accompanied him when buying cattle.
He was aware he was breaking the rules of the retirement scheme. “I’m not being smart, or I’m not claiming to be a know-all. I had the experience. He was twenty-three, and he was asking ‘Where do we go from here?’”
Others said they were too scared of the consequences to ever help out on the farm. One felt that going into forestry was a good option for a retired farmer, as it is permissible under the rules. “I find the forestry keeps you fully employed. There’s plenty of work in forestry,” he said. Another observed: “You can go and make a few bob in the forestry. But I dare not feed the calves.”
Participants in one research focus group were keen to emphasise that although they would like to be able to help out, they would not like to return to regular or heavy farm work.
One said he has no wish whatsoever to go back to milking cows, not even one day of the week, or two days of the week.
Another declared: “We aren’t trying to con anyone. But then again, at the peak times in the spring time, I have no problem in helping to feed calves or something like that.”
The report authors say it may be possible to look at alternative systems where a retiree may be permitted, if desired, to give light on-farm assistance for a limited number of hours per month or during busy periods.
However, this would need careful regulation, to ensure that it would not effectively ‘reverse’ retirement. If resources were available to manage such a system effectively, the benefits to both retiree and the younger farmer would be considerable.
A farm mentoring scheme, which would match a retired farmer with a young farmer, would also be beneficial, both to the retiree and the young farmer.
Similarly, involving retired farmers in pre-retirement advice to older farmers would provide benefits to all concerned.
The report notes that this generally active and able group, adapting now to their changed lifestyle, has a wide range of experience to offer, and time on their hands.
West Limerick Resources chairman Willie O’Regan said there is a rich harvest to be reaped by any community that can avail of the goodwill of retired farmers, harness their talent and get them interested and involved.
Retired farmers have vast knowledge about farms and land, agriculture in general, local history and genealogy, and skills in maintenance and machinery repairs, and gardening.
This knowledge could be of help to young farmers, many of whom now work alone, school children, markets for local produce and other groups.
Retired farmers availed of the survey to vice their criticisms of some of the gaps in the current primary education system, and the fact that there’s nothing in it about farming.
“The funny thing,” said one member, “is that up to 1916, you had gardening and poultry taught in the national school.
“Now, if you go across Europe, you’ll find they’re much more clued into what’s happening in farming and in their communities than we are in Ireland. We have turned our backs away from that.”
In general, retired farmers were very positive towards the kinds of contributions they could make to their communities, given the opportunities to do so.
The Limerick report says this response is particularly interesting, because it highlights the social benefits to the retirees themselves of such involvement, and it suggests that even if only a small number of retirees got involved in a few activities, there would be significant results.
