Two in five farmers do not have a formal successor for a farm, according to the latest Irish Farm Report. Farmers in a partnership are more likely to have a succession plan in place, with 52% of farmers in a partnership having identified a farming successor. The report also found that two in five farmers have no Will in place, one in four farmers have no private pension, despite three in five farmers reporting that they would feel having a personal pension helps in succession planning, underscoring the urgent need for planning. Despite one in four farmers having no private pension in place, a third are unsure or not confident that their pension will provide sufficient retirement income. Sheep sectorWithin the sheep farming respondents, 17% reportedly said they were unsure if they would be farming in five years.

Source: Irish Examiner January 22, 2026 08:30 UTC