Executive Summary

This report has been produced by the Yorkshire Rural Support Network in order to address the concept of succession planning. It considers different familial issues within the farming family.

It was felt that a personal approach rather than statistical evidence would be an appropriate way to present the thoughts, anxieties and ambitions of our farming community within Yorkshire and the Humber (Y&H). This led to interviews with farmers from different types of farms, various ages and ownership status, to give an overall picture of farmer’s views within our region. They gave, very willingly, frank opinions on reluctance to retire, succession planning within their family and young people considering agriculture as a career option. The results of which were surprising in some respects but
inevitable in others.

A literature search was completed to discover what other relevant documents and reports were available. Although there is documented evidence available, the information specific to the Y&H region is scarce. To confirm the level of support in Y&H it was necessary to request information from support organisations. Again, in order to ascertain a wide picture, a variety of organisations were contacted. There was an optimism about the future of agriculture, but a sincere concern about those who are not adapting to change; those who will not survive in the business; and how to attract young people into the agricultural world.

After evidence was gathered from both the farming and support sectors, it was realised that many opinions were very similar. Both found that most farmers over the age of retirement continued to work out of choice rather than need. There are enormous issues regarding succession planning, or lack of planning, which for many reasons the farming families are reluctant to address. They also found that young people need to be encouraged to consider agriculture as a career and that agriculture needs promoting in a much more positive way.

Equally, there are matching opinions about the gaps in services provided by support organisations. It is acknowledged that the support organisations provide a vital role, but that many farmers are unaware of the holistic care that is provided by this sector. Both feel that business advice is crucial for the development of farming businesses and that it should be encouraged, in varying forms, within the farming community. The desire for mediation and mentoring services to be further developed was also specified by both sectors.

The purpose of this report is to make recommendations for future work. The research was limited by time constraints, it is felt that there is much more work that can be done in this area to confirm the recommendations made.