- Nationwide survey by FRS Co-Op reveals less than 13% of farm operators believe there are career progression opportunities in farming
- Majority of farm operators in Ireland who do not own their own farm or land said they would like to manage their own farm in the future
Insight into Irish Farming
Ireland’s farming industry must find ways to reduce the level of unsociable working hours and define better career pathways for progression if the sector is to attract and retain workers into the future, a nationwide survey of farm workers has found.
According to the 2025 survey of FRS Co-Op’s 1,200 farm operators across Ireland, the majority of people who works on farms do so because they enjoy working outdoors and working with animals. However, less than 13% of farm operators said working on a farm provides opportunities to progress in their career.
When asked what the farming industry needs to do to attract new talent, over 50% of farm workers cited the need for higher wages. This was followed by reducing the number of unsociable hours of work on farms. Also defining clearer pathways for career progression.
The Findings
The findings come at a time when Ireland’s farming industry is increasingly reliant on external labour support. 9 out of 10 farms now using external labour to various degrees throughout the year.
Over 80% of farm workers who responded to the FRS Co-Op survey said Irish farms are better prepared for the increased workloads during the spring calving season following the expansion on farms after the end of EU milk quotas.
The FRS Co-Op survey also reveals that just over 50% of its farm operators do not own their own farm. Of this cohort, almost 80% said they would like to manage their own farm in the future. This suggests there is potential to attract new entrants to the farming sector.
The Opportunities
Neil Keane, Head of Agriculture at FRS Co-Op, said:
“The results of our 2025 farm operator survey illustrate some of the challenges and opportunities facing Irish farming. On the one hand, working on a farm can have unsociable hours. Many don’t see a clear pathway to career progression. On the other hand, there is clearly a large group of people that are attracted to farming as a career for the lifestyle it offers and the opportunity to work outdoors.
“Perhaps the most interesting finding of this year’s survey is that almost 80% of farm operators who do not own a farm, said they would like to manage their own farm in the future. This is quite encouraging as it suggests farming does have the ability to attract new entrants into the sector.
“With the government’s Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming set to release recommendations later this year, and the EU recently announcing it wants to attract over 370,000 new farmers into the sector over the next five years, we need to focus on developing policies that will remove some of the barriers for new entrants who don’t currently have a farm or own their own land.
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