A lack of affordable housing and the need for farm diversity listed as challenges for the future in new survey by the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs

Supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the report, Your Covid-19 and Post Brexit Rural Future, released to coincide with this week’s Young Farmers’ awareness week, found more than two-thirds also believed it would be harder in the future for new entrants to get started in farming.

Affordable housing was highlighted as a major stumbling block for young people wanting to remain in the countryside with 65 per cent of the 528 respondents saying there is not enough housing available for rural young people.

George Baxter, NFYFC’s Young Farmers’ Clubs Agri Chair, said: Whilst this research raised some of the obvious issues around lack of affordable housing and the need for connectivity in rural areas, it also highlighted the wealth of skills and experiences of young people growing up on a farm.”

In the report, 78 per cent of the respondents said they saw diversification or an off-farm income as the only way to run a farming business in the future.

“Diversification and high-level skills will be required and there’s an appetite to develop these,” Mr Baxter said. The findings also showed rural young people cared about their communities and wanted to make a positive contribution but cited a lack of services such as youth clubs or a community centre as a key issue.

But the NFYFC said the pandemic had triggered changes in young farmers’ routines, home life, education or employment as well as activities off-farm.

It also said that while Covid-19 has been easier to manage in rural settings it has driven enhanced feelings of isolation and had financial implications for organisations such as the Young Farmers’ Clubs.

Mr Baxter said: “Young Farmers’ Clubs face significant challenges ahead but it’s clear from the feedback in the survey that the organisation offers an important service to young people in rural areas. These young people also make a vital contribution to the local communities where they live and this has never been so apparent as during the Covid-19 crisis.”

This week has seen the launch of the NFYFC’s first fundraising campaign in its 89-year history as the organisation faces a total loss of around £1m in funding due to the pandemic.

With restrictions having forced clubs to stop physical meetings and competitions – a situation that has not happened since the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001 – there are concerns some county federations will be unable to weather the Covid storm and smaller clubs are facing an uncertain future.

The Give it Some YFC Welly Relay campaign, the first in a year-long fundraising effort, was launched on Monday and will see YFC members travel the distance between clubs in their county and passing a “virtual welly” on to the next county federation.

The findings of the survey and other topics will be discussed in an online NFYFC debate tonight at 7.30pm. The panel will include NFYFC president, farmer and rugby referee Nigel Owens, Ivan Annibal and young farmers Beth Duchesne and Tom Pope.

Support The Yorkshire Post and become a subscriber today. Your subscription will help us to continue to bring quality news to the people of Yorkshire. In return, you'll see fewer ads on site, get free access to our app and receive exclusive members-only offers. Click here to subscribe.

Link to use: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/subscriptions