The figures for registrations of new tractors in Ireland during November, as reported by the FTMTA Statistics Service, show a sustained improvement in tractor sales. 35 new tractors were registered during the month which brings to 1,883 the number of new tractors registered during the first eleven months of 2012. This is a 23% increase on the level of registrations during the same period in 2011.

The most popular power band during the year has been the 101 hp to 120 hp category which has accounted for one third of all tractors registered.

Cork, Wexford and Galway continue to be the counties with the highest levels of registrations during the year to date with 211, 137 and 112 units respectively

Registrations of telescopic loaders have also recovered somewhat during 2011 with 118 units registered so far as against 87 during all of 2011.

Alan Milne Tractors based at Newry and Carryduff in Co Down, has been awarded the first prize for best machinery company of the year in Northern Ireland at a recent ceremony in Belfast.

Alan Milne Tractors is a leading AGCO supplier with Massey Ferguson, Fendt and Challenger tractors, as well as many other leading brands.

Alan Milne Tractors, which celebrates 30 years in business this year, has built up a reputation at its Newry base where it supplies Fendt and Challenger tractors, Dieci loaders and a number of other marques, including Takeuchi mini diggers and San Marco self-erecting cranes.

At Carryduff in 2009, he has the Massey Ferguson dealership for Down and Armagh, as well as dealerships for Kverneland, Taarup, Vicon, Bomford, Permastore and Schaeffer loaders.

Figures from the Central Statistics Office of Ireland released earlier last month reveal that Ireland’s farmers are getting older. The average age of has risen from 51 to 54. Only 7% of Irish farmers are under the age of 35.

In its Food Harvest 2020 report, the government set a goal of growing Irish agri-food exports in worth from €8bn to €13bn by 2020. Currently, only 7% of Irish farmers are under the age of 35. Without an influx of younger, more vibrant farmers, these expansion plans will be difficult to execute.

So what is being done about it?

What makes this issue particularly difficult is that farming isn’t something you just fall into. One needs to make a definitive, conscious choice in order to move into the profession.

It requires patience, years of practical training and a genuine passion to get anywhere near to doing it right.

And this is not just a problem afflicting Ireland. Only 6% of farmers across the European Union are under the age of 35, and in some member states this figure drops to as low as 3%.

The issue is not a lack of interest in farming from young people, but rather a number of problems that plague most young entrepreneurs – issues with raising finance, low return on investment during the first years of investment and access to land. If a young person sees no prospects in buying a farm, why bother buying one?

A number of bodies in Ireland and across the EU are working to get more young people into farming, and to support them throughout the formative years of their careers.

Innovative

Central to this movement is the European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA). Created in 1958, CEJA works to the objective of promoting a younger, more innovative agricultural sector across the EU.

To this end, CEJA has launched ‘Future…Food…Farmers’ (http://www.futurefoodfarmers.eu), a European-wide campaign which aims to raise public and political awareness of the age crisis in European agriculture.

Supported by a number of prominent MEPs, the campaign suggests a number of solutions to the problems listed above, including changes in common agriculture policy, concentrating on installation subsidies and facilitating easier access to bank loans. In early 2013, they aim to present the campaign to the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dacian Cioloş; President of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council and Irish Farm Minister Simon Coveney; and Member of European Parliament and Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development Paolo de Castro.

The future of agriculture not only rests on an influx of young blood to supplant the old guard as it retires, but also on key environmental issues. With the younger generation perhaps better equipped to make the sweeping changes needed, CEJA has launched the ‘Climate Farmers’ scheme, designed to promote the importance of young farmers in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Emphasising the farmer’s key role in the fight against climate change is a good way to attract under 35s, who tend to care more about environmental issues than other age groups, to the agriculture sector.

And a message for the older generation: don’t worry, you’re not redundant yet. While concerning, what these figures don’t take into account is that we’re getting healthier, living longer and more importantly, our quality of life is increasing. We are able to work at a higher level for much longer than we ever have before.

If the suggested changes do come to pass, the older generation will become even more important. Even now, most of these schemes require active participation from established farmers, and their mentorship and guidance will be crucial to the survival and expansion of the industry.

By Matt Skinner, Journalist and Content Editor for BusinessesForSale.com. Matt also writes for other titles in the Dynamis stable, including FranchiseSales.co.uk, BusinessWings.co.uk, and is the editor of PropertySales.com as well as being an occasional contributor to, Talk Business magazine and Start Your Business Magazine.

William Judge has moved within AGCO, from his position with Fendt sales, to a new position as sales manager for combine harvesters in Britain and Ireland. William, who is originally from Edenderry, Co Offaly, worked with Case IH dealer RF Colton of Tullamore before joining Fendt five years ago.

In his new role, he will be responsible for growing the Massey Ferguson combine harvester market share in Britain and Ireland.

Contractors who supported the giant IFA protest march in Dublin this week were aggrieved that their support was not acknowledged and there was no mention of the impact of increased diesel costs on their business and on farming. Timmy O’Brien, national chairman of the Association of Farm Contractors Ireland, told the Irish Farmers Journal that they had rallied members from across the country to support the IFA protest.

“More than 200 contractors travelled to Dublin for the protest on the clear understanding that our plight as contractors and the issue of high diesel prices would be included in the speeches made by farming leaders. We were very disappointed that our support was not acknowledged by any mention from the podium on the day,” said Timmy O’Brien.

Low sulphur diesel continues to be priced at about 4c per litre more than high sulphur diesel, and even though oil distributors are required by law to supply only low sulphur diesel for tractor use, many are still supplying lower cost high sulphur diesel to farmers, claimed the contractor’s association chairman.

“The Government needs to clarify what type of diesel it wants farmers and contractors to use and provide a lower tax rate on low sulphur diesel in order to encourage its wider use. Contractors with modern tractors cannot afford a further cost penalty of 4c per litre on diesel when they are forced to use low sulphur diesel,” said Timmy O’Brien.

Under the motto “Deliver Efficiency”, Fendt opened the world’s most modern tractor factory network. By investing $300 million in the facility AGCO has shown it’s commitment to manufacturing in Bavaria and especially at the home site of Marktoberdorf. Fendt invited more than 3,500 suppliers, dealers and distributors, journalists and guests from Germany and the entire world to the opening ceremony and in addition to impressive shows, presentations and interesting information, visitors had the opportunity to see the new final assembly for themselves Continued

Last week, Austrian agricultural machinery manufacturer Pottinger held its bi-annual ‘Pottinger International Day’ at its headquarters in Grieskirchen.

A large contingent of Irish Pottinger dealers travelled over to the event to, among other things, sample some Austrian hospitality but also to see the firm’s entire range of products.

There were static displays of equipment at the factory and working demonstrations on a nearby farm.

Visitors also got to tour the Pottinger plant at Grieskirchen – one of four Pottinger facilities, two of which are in Austria, one in Germany and one in the Czech Republic. Continued