Almost half of farmers aged over 50 have not decided who will succeed them, according to research published yesterday.
The Land Mobility and Succession in Ireland study, commissioned by young farmers' group Macra na Feirme, found that while 48 per cent of those surveyed had not identified a successor, two-thirds said it was important that the farm remain in family ownership.
The study, by Dr Pat Bogue of Broadmore Research, said a retired farmer had "a low level of acceptance and many farmers cannot perceive a role for themselves if they step back from full-time active farming".
