Evaluation report of Operation 6.1.1 (support for the incorporation of young farmers)

This thematic evaluation is a final report conducted within the framework of the evaluation plan for the 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme (RDP) of the community of Madrid, covering the period from 2014 to 2023.

The RDP evaluation plan highlights the importance of the programme’s contribution to the generation of employment in rural areas, with special consideration for women and young people. This thematic evaluation on the support for incorporating young farmers addresses this necessity. It is a follow-up of two interim evaluations carried out in 2017 and 2019, and it answers the question: ‘To what extent have the interventions of the RDP of the Community of Madrid supported the entry into the agricultural sector of suitably trained farmers, and in particular generational renewal?’

The methodological approach includes: the analysis of secondary (official statistics, mainly from Eurostat and the ministry of agriculture, fisheries and food) and primary sources of information (RDP of the community of Madrid 2014-2020; information available in the monitoring system of the Management Authority and the management unit; regulatory bases and calls for support; and criteria for the selection of operations). On the other hand, the opinions of beneficiaries and experts in the sector were collected through the sending of a questionnaire.

The report includes a context part, analysing the evolution of the young farmers and the characteristics of their farms, and then focuses on the analysis of Measure 6.1 (from the intervention logic to its implementation and results). It finally answers the evaluation questions, as described above.

The support granted affects 1.76% of farms in the community of Madrid, a percentage that can in some way help cope with the decline in the number of young farmers, but given its low representativeness, it cannot reverse the trend. One of the recommendations is to increase the financial envelope in order to reach more potential beneficiaries.

The implementation of sub-Measure 6.1 has benefited 154 young farmers, which can be considered as new jobs created, and has led to the creation of 18.75 additional annual working units (AWU), so that 3.03% of the existing employment in the sector can be linked to the implementation of the support. A recommendation is to better inform the beneficiaries about bonuses for recruitment, for example.

Most beneficiaries are family-linked to the sector, which encourages holdings not to be abandoned. Through the RDP, various types of actions are being undertaken that favour the development of activities in rural areas, which either directly or indirectly facilitate young farmers who decide to settle in rural environments.

In addition, the call for support itself requires young farmers to submit a business plan that shows the investments to be undertaken and demonstrates the viability of the farm, which ensures the improvement of the competitiveness of the farms supported.

Finally, the data from official statistics indicate an improvement in the educational level of farmers in the Madrid community. In addition, the beneficiaries highlight their concerns about keeping training and improving their qualification.