Dr. Maura Farrell:

There has been a considerable uptick. There is a considerable increase in the number of women on veterinary courses and across the board in those traditionally male jobs in agriculture. We see that as very important. Are those women going back into farms? At present, they are not. We are seeing those women in the broader area of agricultural employment. That is great for them. Are they going back into farming? There are barriers in farming that are preventing that. Access to land is an example. The whole debate on generational renewal is very much targeted at young males. It is not targeted at young females. A conversation needs to be had in many homes on the idea that the young woman or young girl on the farm can take it over just as successfully as the male. We have an issue with generational renewal in that older farmers do not even want to hand farms over to males at the moment, never mind females. We have that issue of generational renewal but we need to make sure that women are part of that conversation and that the option is there for the best person to take over the farm, rather than the best male. Women need to become part of that agenda as well.