Sinn Féin has warned that the Government is sleepwalking into a major crisis in the Irish agriculture sector after a survey found that one in three farmers plan to exit the industry within the next five years.

Martin Kenny TD, the party's spokesperson on Agriculture and Food, said the findings, published by AgriLand and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), must serve as a wake-up call for the Government and the Minister for Agriculture.

He said few other industries leave workers without at least a baseline annual income, and that income volatility in farming is a shocking indictment of Government policy.

Kenny added that young people are discouraged from entering farming because they can secure better pay and holidays in other sectors, while many farm families would prefer their children not to struggle to keep a farm afloat.

He identified access to land as a major issue, claiming young farmers are being priced out by big business purchasing land to exploit tax reliefs for transferring agricultural land. He also alleged some of those buyers receive CAP payments while producing no food or agricultural produce.

Kenny noted that a report on generational renewal was published a year ago at the National Ploughing Championships with 31 recommendations, but claimed none have been implemented by the Minister.

He called for the immediate implementation of a generational renewal scheme and a policy change to provide certainty and confidence in the Irish agricultural sector.