Lack of career progression a major challenge for farm workers

Agriland

20-05-2025

Less than 13% of farm workers believe there are career progression opportunities in farming, according to the findings of a nationwide survey.
The 2025 survey of FRS Co-Op's 1,200 farm operators across Ireland shows that the majority of people who works on farms do so because they enjoy working outdoors and working with animals.
However, the survey highlighted how the farming sector must find ways to reduce the level of unsociable working hours and define better career pathways for progression if it is to attract and retain workers into the future.
Farm workers
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 and defining clearer pathways for career progression.
Ireland's farming industry is increasingly reliant on external labour support, with 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, suggesting there is potential to attract new entrants to the farming sector.
Survey
Neil Keane, head of agriculture at FRS Co-Op, said the results of the survey illustrate some of the challenges and opportunities facing Irish farming.
'On the one hand, working on a farm can have unsociable hours and 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,' he said.
'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,' Keane added.
The government-appointed Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming is set to release recommendations later this year.
While the European Union announced that 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,' Keane said.
FRS Co-Op is headquartered in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, is the largest employer of farm labour in all of Europe, and has also developed significant operations in recruitment and contract training services.
Founded in 1980, the business currently employs 2,000 staff and generates annual revenues of around €100 million.