Most farmers aged 60 and over do not have a ready successor to take over their farm. This is what emerges from a research by AgriDirect, which collected information on the registry and inheritance situation of over 14,500 farms.
According to the analysis, the average age of company heads in the sector is 58 years old. With an average age of 59, farmers and fruit growers are the oldest, while goat farmers are the youngest at 54.
45 percent
According to AgriDirect, only 45% of companies with a farm manager aged 60 or over indicate that they have a successor. However, it is above all the horticulturists, fruit growers and nurserymen who are missing a new generation. In the livestock sector, there is a successor expected for most interested companies. For dairy farms, for example, this is 61%.
The figures may be interesting in view of the voluntary cessation scheme with which the cabinet wants to rescue polluting farmers and solve the nitrogen problem. This range of so-called peak loaders will open in April 2023 and in the autumn it will be clear whether the nitrogen targets will be met. “Otherwise it will be with pain in the heart” from the coercion and forced takeover of the top-loaders, Nitrogen Minister Christianne van der Wal said last week.
Peak loaders are (agricultural) businesses that emit a relatively large amount of nitrogen in the vicinity of vulnerable natural areas. They need to emit much less nitrogen, not least because this will create space to grant permits to farmers who are currently growing illegally through no fault of their own.
Source: BNR
Fernando Dowling is an author and political journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of the political landscape and a passion for analyzing the latest political trends and news.
