Charlie Beaty: Next generation face ‘mind-boggling’ barriers

Defra’s new plan to offer a lump sum of up to £100,000 to the “oldies” of our industry to hang up their flat caps and hand the reins over to new entrants, though a sentiment I don’t entirely disagree with, is one I have little faith in.

Pay older farmer money. Older farmer retires. Land available. New entrant gets land. Simple, no? It seems to be a black-and-white approach to a very grey problem.

About the author

Charlie Beaty

Harper Adams University graduate Charlie has a keen interest in the livestock sector, being heavily involved in the beef and sheep enterprises at home, as well as the arable and contracting side of things. The 25-year-old is an active member of Warwickshire YFC and loves travelling the world.

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In a recent National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs Agri steering group meeting, it was strongly agreed by all in attendance that the biggest barrier facing new entrants is capital.

Heck, affording a house deposit is a daunting enough prospect in the current climate.

The idea of taking on a farm tenancy and then having to fork out on machinery, livestock, feed, seed, fertiliser… and then forming a successful business model in the mere five-year window that seems standard for a farm business tenancy these days? Mind-boggling.

See also: Charlie Beaty – I’m up for a staycation.

That’s not to say it can’t be done, but there are huge obstacles.

Realistically, freeing up land and expecting new entrants not to be outbid on an unlevel playing field is far-fetched. So, what is the alternative?

In 2018, the Country Land and Business Association pointed out that if a quarter of farmers in England aged over 65 were to enter into a share-farming agreement, there would be nearly 8,000 new entrants in the industry.

Share-farming agreements would allow new entrants to learn on the job, while gently easing older farmers into retirement.

Share-farming isn’t big here in the UK, but maybe we should take a leaf out of the Kiwis’ book on this one.

And how about ploughing some of this “lump sum” money into further training, grants and loans, aimed directly at these new entrants?

After four years at university gaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture, I walked away with no better idea of how to apply for a tenancy or do the VAT return.

I am well aware that the older generation often find it hard to hand over decision-making responsibilities to their younger counterparts.

I’m extremely lucky on that front – I am always kept involved with decisions and made to feel like my opinion is valued. Sometimes, though, even I resent not being allowed to make my own mistakes.

But I still feel that the focus surely needs to be more on helping the new in and less on pushing the old out.