By 2030, almost half of French farmers will be of retirement age. 33% of Maïsadour’s farmers and customers are over 55. Passing on farms to the next generation is therefore a major challenge for agriculture.
The challenge of transfer and takeovers at the heart of this partnership
Maïsadour and the Maisons Familiales et Rurales (MFR) in Aire-sur-l’Adour and Mont signed an agreement on May 15. The aim is to put agricultural students who have no existing structure in touch with farm managers looking for a buyer in the next 3 to 8 years.
Thanks to the work-study program, the student will receive training from the farmer who wishes to sell his farm: production workshops, farm management, cultivation practices, etc.
In this partnership, each party has a role to play: the MFRs identify students between the second year of secondary school and the BTS who have formulated a project to set up in business within a maximum of 10 years. Maïsadour, for its part, selects farms with no identified buyer and wishing to transfer their activities within 5 years. Products from the farm are sold by the Group or one of its subsidiaries.
“When I thought about passing on my farm, I contacted Maïsadour's poultry technician because I hadn't identified a buyer. Passing on my farm is a major concern for me, and one that's very close to my heart. It's not just the farm you're passing on, but your own production tool, the fruit of a lifetime's work! I absolutely want the future farmer to take over the livestock business, which is part of our region's identity and its future."
The creation of a working group with all Maïsadour sectors
Maïsadour has made the transfer of farms a key issue, and in 2022 set up a working group dedicated to this project. Its mission is to build sustainable solutions for farmers by facilitating access to land for young farmers, particularly those from outside the farming community. This group is therefore fully in line with the Ambition 2030 strategy, as it is designed to support the region’s activity and economy, and ensure food sovereignty.
To carry out its missions, the Group works closely with the various players in the sector who are also developing solutions to meet this new challenge (Chambers of Agriculture, banks, SAFER, chartered accountants, etc.).
