The leadership of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers & Ranchers program has released the results of a survey of participants that shows an even split when it comes to concerns about top challenges they face today. A total of 21 percent of young farmers surveyed ranked burdensome government regulations and “red tape” as a top concern; an additional 21 percent cited securing adequate land to grow crops and raising livestock as their top challenge today.

Other issues ranked as top concerns included economic challenges, particularly profitability, 11 percent; availability of farm labor and related regulations, 8 percent; and willingness of parents to turn over the reins of the farm or ranch, 7 percent. When asked to name the top three steps the federal government should take to help young farmers and ranchers, cutting government spending was the number 1 response, with 20 percent listing this as most important.

Glen Cope, AFBF’s national YF&R committee chair and a beef cattle producer from Missouri, explains – one of the biggest challenges many of us have faced is getting enough capital to start farming. And then, once we are established, regulatory costs can be the wildcard that determines whether we can be successful enough to stay on the land. The 2012 survey also shows 94 percent of the nation’s young farmers and ranchers say they are better off than they were five years ago.

Courtesy: NAFB News