Who Succeeds
While patriarchy prevails
primogeniture does not.
Farm succession in New Zealand is still predominately patrilineal and controlled by a patriarchal system of succession. Nevertheless, half of the respondents supported the concept of women in farming, arguing that new technology and changed social attitudes encourage women to not only seek a career in farming but to take up the role of principal operator in their farm business. The trend for women farmers is in the ascent and ultimately daughters, as well as sons, as of right will be considered by their families to be potential farm successors. While patriarchy prevails primogeniture does not. All but two of the successors in the study were male but they were not necessarily the eldest son nor indeed the eldest child.
Decision to succeed
The successors were aware they would succeed, notwithstanding that succession was not always straight forward. Frequently it was dependent upon
- resolution of family complexities,
- the economic stability of the farm,
- the state of the agricultural industry,
- and family indecision regarding succession.
Even although the decision that they should succeed was a ‘natural progression’ most successors were at least 24 years old before they knew that they would definitely succeed. Successors gave explicit answers for the timing of their succession decision, as opposed to much less decisive answers from the retiring generation, suggesting the importance to them of certainty within the succession process. Successors usually learnt of their succession informally either being told by their fathers or during a family meeting.
Choice of successor
While the decision to ‘hand on’ the farm was not a difficult choice in itself for the retiring generation it frequently ‘did require thought’. The ‘choice’ frequently turned into the ‘dilemma’ with recognition that retirement and succession were financially incompatible without ‘huge debt, high loan repayments and the paying out of siblings. While not necessarily being difficult, for some the choice had been made at a personal cost. Mostly that personal cost was a financial cost, for others it was leaving the farm, the house, the garden, having to live in town and losing farmer status. Overall the costs were dwarfed by the joy of children succeeding and the knowledge that the farm would also be ‘home’ to grandchildren. The difficulties, when they exist, revolve around of issues of equity between all the children, financial concerns vis a vis an acceptable retirement income and the ability of successors to purchase the property without unduly burdening themselves and the farm business operation with undue debt.
Succession and daughters
Families who were encouraging their daughters into farming did so with determination and relish. Opinion was equally divided ‘for and against’ women becoming farmers in their own right. Reaction to women farmers was not generational, successors too would advise their daughters against farming. Some of these responses were coloured by the successors’ own negative experiences in farming and the current state of the industry, ‘wouldn’t recommend farming to anyone.’
Contact for Enquiries
Rural Affairs Coordinator
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0675
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0745
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