Culture of leaving farms to sons and not daughters needs to change, says McConalogue

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue: 'We need to face facts and the culture is still largely a male-dominated sector and the crucial role women play is often not fully understood, fully understood, appreciated, or recognised.'

The culture of handing down farms to a son or a nephew has to change to remove barriers for women in farming, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has said.

Announcing the new National Conference on Women in Farming, to be chaired by former tánaiste Mary Coughlan, he also said attitudes to women farmers must change.