Farming Poll 2016: More than 25% of farmers will not leave the land to their children

The question of succession still looms large in farming, with the Irish Examiner / ICMSA poll showing that more than one-quarter of respondents do not plan on leaving the land to a son or daughter.

While 71% said they planned to pass on the farm to a son or daughter, 13% did not know and 4% said they would be selling up. Another 10% said they would leave it to an extended family member and 1% would leave the land with a non-family member.

One solicitor, whose firm has been involved in Teagasc clinics on the issue of farm succession, said one problem was farmers waiting until later in life to decide on who takes over, rather than a much longer lead-in period.