European Commission proposed to double support for young farmers

The European Commission has proposed doubling financial support for young farmers, raising the budget to €17 billion. According to Politico, Brussels aims to address the aging crisis in agriculture, where more than one-third of farm managers are over 65 years old.

On Tuesday, Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen will present the EU’s Generational Renewal Strategy in Agriculture, designed to support a new generation of food producers who face numerous barriers to entering the profession.

Statistics reveal that over one-third of farm managers in Europe are older than 65, while fewer than one in eight are under 40.

“It’s not that young people don’t want to farm — it’s that it’s almost impossible to start,” said Sarah Till, 21, vice president of Luxembourg’s Young Farmers group.

The biggest obstacle for young farmers is the cost of land. One hectare of arable land in the EU costs nearly €12,000 on average. In the Netherlands, the price exceeds €90,000 — €34,000 more than ten years ago.

Roy Meijer, head of the Dutch Young Farmers’ Association (NAJK), noted that banks often view young farmers as high-risk borrowers, making it nearly impossible to buy land at age 25.

Young farmers see agriculture not as a family tradition but as a business. They are ready to use modern technologies but need stable and predictable regulations.

As a result, fewer people are growing food, imports are rising on supermarket shelves, and the farming profession is gradually disappearing from the European landscape.

The European Commission proposes that member states allocate 6% of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funds to generational renewal — twice the current share. If successfully implemented, the plan could channel more than €17 billion between 2028 and 2034.

Tags: subsidies, EU