Agri Summit puts focus on next generation of farmers

NEW Blood, Stronger farming is the theme of a high-level summit focused on the critical issue of next generation farming which will take place in Naas, Co. Kildare this Thursday, November 5.

The AgRenew Ireland Summit is organised by the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) in association with the Golden Jubilee Trust and the Irish Presidency of the EU.

The summit will be opened by the Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon with a range of guest speakers.

Only four per cent of Irish farmers are under 35, while 37 per cent are over 65. Across Europe, the average farmer age is 57 while just one in 30 are women farmers under the age of 40.

The summit brings together key stakeholders with the aim of addressing the challenges facing young farmers and finding legitimate and workable pathways to securing the next generation of farmers.