The age profile of Irish agriculture was not being seriously addressed by the Government, the Irish Farmers' Association has claimed.
Only 14 per cent of Irish farmers were under 35, while more than 44 per cent were 55 or older, according to the latest figures.
Despite that, the Government had withdrawn a major restructuring measure, the Young Farmer Installation Aid Scheme, the IFA's rural development officer, Mr Dermot Leavy, said at the weekend. Its suspension last August sent a negative signal to young people who would otherwise decide to stay farming, but instead were increasingly opting for other careers.
The scheme, he said, was worth £5,600 in start-up costs to young trained and qualified farmers in an industry which had very high start-up costs.
"The Government has not honoured its commitment to restore this vitally important scheme . . . despite the fact that Minister Walsh said the money will be provided," he said.
"The scheme qualified 1,000 young farmers annually prior to its suspension and was a very important measure because it helped to defray the high cost of land transfer and assist in changing the age profile of Irish agriculture."
The agriculture sector needed a young and energetic workforce to meet the challenges of a more competitive market place.
He said the EU Early Retirement Scheme, under which farmers could quit at 55 with an EU-funded pension worth around £10,000 each year, had been of great benefit to older farmers to get out of farming. But there was still no incentive for young farmers to move in and replace the older people.