Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail any steps he is taking to support young people entering the farming sector.
Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: My Department, through the College of Agriculture Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), plays a key role in educating people entering or currently working within the agriculture industry through the provision of further and higher education courses in agriculture and through the delivery of knowledge transfer and innovation programmes.
DAERA’s Sustainable Agriculture Programme (SAP) provides options for all farm businesses in Northern Ireland to secure and improve their viability and environmental sustainability. As part of the SAP, the Farming for the Generations Scheme aims to raise awareness of the need for succession planning on farms to help ensure the long-term sustainability of the farm business and bring the next generation into the farm business. A pilot Farming for the Generations Scheme ran from October 2024 to March 2026. My officials are working with a range of industry stakeholders to co‑design a wider Farming for the Generations scheme. I plan to launch the main Farming for the Generations Scheme later this year.
My Department also provides support through funding to the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU). This funding enables the YFCU to develop and deliver a wide range of education programmes, tailored to their members, to improve understanding of key DAERA priority areas of work across farming, food and the environment. The package provides the resources to allow the YFCU to work collaboratively with central and local Government to deliver better outcomes for young people living in rural areas across important issues, such as, farm safety, crime prevention, road safety and health and wellbeing.
ENDS
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