Yahoo Finance Ageing farmers pose risk to Britain’s food supply, official data suggests
Britain’s ageing farmers are on the cusp of a wave of retirement that casts serious doubt on the Government’s plan to boost domestic food production.
New census figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that farmers are one of the oldest occupational groups in the UK.
More than four in ten are at least 60 years old, with almost three in ten 65 or over.
By contrast, a tenth of the wider workforce is aged 60 or above and just 4.3pc are over 65.
The figures suggest that the agricultural sector is on the cusp of a wave of retirement that could be hugely disruptive to domestic food production.
The state retirement age is currently 66 and will rise to 67 by the end of 2028.
The ONS warned that the high average age of farmers “pose[s] challenges for labour supply in the future if not enough young people go into that type of work”.
Evidence suggests farmers are struggling to recruit younger workers in the numbers needed.
Just 11pc of farmers are aged 25 to 35, the ONS said, compared to a quarter of the broader workforce.
The findings come as Rishi Sunak seeks to boost homegrown food production following shortages on shelves earlier this year.
The Prime Minister and DEFRA Secretary Thérèse Coffey hosted food industry representatives at Downing Street in May to discuss how to “put more British produce on supermarket shelves in the UK and around the world”.
Food security has risen on the political agenda after supermarkets were forced to ration items such as tomatoes, peppers and lettuces as a result of supply issues.
Farmers have complained that rising costs are making domestic food production increasingly unviable, with warnings that many smallholders are quitting the industry altogether.
Other industries are also facing an ageing workforce. Half of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers are at least 50 years old, ONS figures showed, while professions such as undertakers and bed and breakfast owners are dominated by older workers.
