Young sheep farmer warns delayed succession threatens the sector

A 19-year-old sheep farmer says young people need to take over farms earlier to protect Iceland’s sheep-farming sector, mbl.is reports. Heimir Sigurpáll Árnason, a sixth-generation farmer, runs the family farm with his father and hopes to take it over completely in the next few years.

Heimir says farming needs ambition and clear standards, particularly in sheep farming. He considers Iceland’s dairy farmers generally good farmers and business operators, but says the same cannot be said of sheep farming. He believes the high average age of sheep farmers contributes to the problem.

Heimir also works as a troubadour, travelling around the country. When he tells people he expects to take over the farm within two to five years, he often hears that his father is still young, at around 40. He argues that people in their twenties should have the chance to take over.

He says sensible generational transfers are essential to maintaining a strong agricultural sector. If young people interested in farming cannot take over when they are ready, he warns, they may build lives elsewhere and never return to the farm.

“This is so dangerous, and it is what is happening in many places,” Heimir says.