Evaluation report of the sub-measure 6.1.1 Support for the establishment of young farmers

This thematic evaluation is a final report conducted as part of the evaluation plan of the Community of Madrid's 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme (RDP) and covers the 2014-2023 period.

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

The methodological approach includes the analysis of secondary (i.e. official statistics, mainly from Eurostat and the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) and primary sources of information (i.e. 2024-2020 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). In addition, the opinions of beneficiaries and experts in the sector were collected through 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 sub-measure 6.1.1. 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 help with the decline in the number of young farmers but cannot reverse the trend, given its low representativeness. One of the recommendations is to increase the financial envelope to reach more potential beneficiaries.

The implementation of sub-measure 6.1.1 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 inform the beneficiaries better about bonuses for recruitment, for example.

Most beneficiaries have family ties to the sector, which encourages holdings not to be abandoned. Through the RDP, other actions are being undertaken that favour the development of activities in the rural areas that, directly or indirectly, facilitate the young farmer who decides to settle in rural areas.

In addition, the call for support 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 supported farms.

Finally, the data from the official statistics show an improvement in the educational level of farmers in the Community of Madrid. In addition, the beneficiaries highlight their needs in receiving advice and training and improving their skills.