Suspension of schemes ‘will curtail’ commercial farming development

THE suspension of the installation aid and early retirement schemes will curtail the development of a commercial farming sector with the necessary scale to generate viable incomes, according to the Agricultural Science Association.

Association president Elaine Farrell said with opportunities for off-farm employment in decline, the establishment of the maximum number of full-time commercial farms is more important now than at any time during the past decade.

“The availability of start-up capital through installation aid and access to additional land through the farm retirement scheme are vital in achieving this objective,” she said.