Worrying statistics on the age of farmers in Spain

The Unión de Uniones de Agricultores y Ganaderos de España expresses its concern about the ageing of the farming population and the urgent need for policies to attract young people and ensure generational renewal. Currently, an alarming 70% of farmers are over 55 years old, while only 8% are under 40.

 

The organisation criticises existing aid for its ineffectiveness and delays of up to three years, proposing a two-phase scheme: 50% when the dossier is resolved and the other 50% after justifying the investment. Unión de Uniones stresses the importance of the autonomous communities reforming this aid to make it fairer.

 

With regard to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), they advocate focusing on active farmers and preventing resources from being dispersed among those who do not depend on agriculture for a living. They underline the need to make the countryside more profitable and to effectively implement the food chain law.

 

At national level, Asturias and Cantabria stand out for their higher proportion of young farmers, while the Valencian Community, Galicia, Community of Madrid and the Balearic Islands have the highest percentages of farmers over 65, showing a clear regional disparity.