Delay on generational renewal of farming threatens food security
Delay on generational renewal of farming threatens food security - The Labour Party
Labour Party Agriculture and Food Spokesperson Rob O’Donoghue RD echoed the frustration from stakeholders on the delayed publication of the Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming.
Deputy O’Donoghue said:
“As budget negotiation talks begin, we will no doubt hear of increasing reports about further funding and farm subsidies, all of which are welcome, but we will hear less about the cultural and generational change in farming which greatly threatens our food security. Farming is a way of life, but life has changed and successive Governments have failed to take responsibility for the generational shift away from agricultural life.
“From a recent parliamentary question received from the Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon, we have the data that the average age of a farm holder in the Republic is 59.4 years old. Where does that leave us in 5 years or 10 years’ time? How can we plan to have a sustainable food supply with an ageing farming population?
“With only 7% of farmers under the age of 35, we need to have an effective strategy for generational renewal in farming to make agriculture an attractive and manageable vocation for younger people.
“This report was supposed to be published at the end of June, we are now in the middle of August and have not yet heard any detail of when it will be published. I am calling on the Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon to publish this report and to ensure that its findings are part of the debate around Budget 2026, to encourage younger farmers, to support our rural communities, and to protect our food security.”
QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine the number of people engaged in the food production industry, broken down by county and age demographics, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
The CSO Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates that 169,300 people worked in the Agri-Food sector as a main occupation in 2024, representing 6.1% of total employment in Ireland. Of these, 108,450 (64%) worked in “Agriculture Forestry, and Fishing”, and 56,850 (36%) worked in the “Manufacture of Food and Beverages”.
50,225 of the people employed in the Manufacture of Food and Beverages worked in food, while 6,625 worked in beverages. Breakdowns by region and county are not currently available.
The CSO Farm Structure Survey 2023 estimates indicate that 299,725 people worked on 133,174 farms across Ireland in 2023. This differs from the LFS as it includes all people working on farms, including those for whom it is not their main occupation. For the purposes of calculating the Agricultural Labour Force in 2023, 127,976 farm holdings of a defined threshold were included. Of these, 67,362 of farm holders defined farm work as their sole full-time occupation, 28,886 described farm work as a major occupation, and 31,728 as a subsidiary occupation. Excluding farm holders, 171,749 people worked on farms. Of these, 132,278 were spouses and other family members, and 39,471 were non-family workers. This figure includes both part-time and full-time workers.
The table below shows the mean age of farm holder by region and county, and the number of people working on farms – both family and non-family workers – by region.
| Mean Age of Farm Holder | No. of Farm Workers | |
| State | 59.4 | 299,725 |
| Northern and Western | 59.7 |  |
| Border | 58.5 | 56,249 |
| Cavan | 58.2 | |
| Donegal | 58 | |
| Leitrim | 59.4 | |
| Monaghan | 58.1 | |
| Sligo | 60 | |
| West | 60.7 | 66,182 |
| Galway | 60.9 | |
| Mayo | 60.8 | |
| Roscommon | 60.2 | |
| Southern | 59.1 | |
| Mid-West | 59.3 | 42,710 |
| Clare | 59.4 | |
| Limerick | 59.7 | |
| Tipperary | 59.1 | |
| South-East | 59.5 | 28,551 |
| Carlow | 59.3 | |
| Kilkenny | 60 | |
| Waterford | 59.9 | |
| Wexford | 59 | |
| South-West | 58.6 | 49,814 |
| Cork | 58.5 | |
| Kerry | 58.8 | |
| Eastern and Midland | 59.6 | |
| Mid-East and Dublin | 59.9 | 27,704 |
| Dublin | 60.6 | |
| Kildare | 60 | |
| Louth | 59.9 | |
| Meath | 59.9 | |
| Wicklow | 59.7 | |
| Midlands | 59.3 | 28,515 |
| Laois | 59.4 | |
| Longford | 59.6 | |
| Offaly | 58.9 | |
| Westmeath | 59.5 |