NRN Publish Land Mobility Case Study

Land is the key productive asset in Irish farming and access to and mobility of land remains a critical issue to the future prosperity of the agricultural sector. Movement of land from one farmer to another, or from one generation to the next is an extremely complex issue involving a range of factors primarily personal and economic but also influenced by social and psychological factors (e.g. status in the community). The result is that land is slow to move and those who are seeking access to additional land have little or no control or influence over land mobility.  At a simplistic level, land mobility could be considered as the transfer of land currently in the hands of older farmers who may be retiring from active farming or reducing their level of activity (for various reasons) to younger farmers. However, this is not the full picture, as there are those: who wish to reduce their level of farming; who have off-farm employment and do not wish to invest further in their holdings; or those who have inherited holdings who either do not have a desire to farm or have a holding which cannot generate a sufficient economic return.

The Rural Development Programme (RDP) channels significant funding to family farms and many of the measures relate to efficient utilisation for agricultural utilisation of assets. Part of the National Rural Network (NRN)brief is to demonstrate the effectiveness of measures taken under the Rural Development Programme (RDP). This case study addresses land mobility and makes suggestions for improving access to land for those that wish to increase their area farmed and widening the options available to farmers who wish to cease or reduce the level of their farming activity. [Read More …]