Arable farmer and NFU member Harry Suckling, who has been chair since October, said the club has seen a gradual increase in membership in recent years.
Harry Suckling is a 23-year-old fifth-generation farmer who grows potatoes, onions, wheat, barley, sugar beet and oilseed rape on the family farm at Holbrook, near Ipswich.
There are now more than 240 Suffolk Young Farmers鈥� Club members, an increase from 217 last year.
As numbers continue to rise one of the branch clubs, Melton Young Farmers, which closed in 2018, has been reopened.
The growth of Suffolk Young Farmers鈥� Club comes at a time when, nationally, the NFU is working to address challenges in attracting younger people into agriculture, with the average age of a farmer in the UK at 59.
With the industry facing a perfect storm of issues, the fresh enthusiasm for farming in Suffolk鈥檚 young people will be seen as a cause for optimism.
Growing membership
Harry Suckling said: 鈥淭here has been a steady resurgence in numbers at Suffolk Young Farmers鈥� Club in recent years.鈥�
A good programme of events is the secret to keeping people interested and bringing in new members, according to the young farmer.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to be a farmer to be a member, but obviously many members are farmers and there are people coming in who may go on to be farmers,鈥� he added.
鈥�I think it is vital that government does not take away our futures.鈥�
Suffolk Young Farmers鈥� Club chair Harry Suckling
Encouraging young farmers is of national interest
With the farming industry worth 拢1.4 billion to East Anglia鈥檚 economy, and food production playing a key role in supporting more than 8,000 jobs in Suffolk, Harry believes it is in the national interest for the government to encourage this burgeoning passion for farming.
Harry also backs the NFU鈥檚 Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign.
He said: 鈥淪uffolk has a proud farming history that needs to be preserved.
鈥淭here is a group of young people here who love farming, who want to take on the baton.
鈥淚 think it is vital that government does not take away our futures.鈥�
Passion for farming undimmed
Despite the farming industry facing major challenges on top of family farm tax proposals, Harry said the passion for farming among Suffolk鈥檚 young people remains undimmed.
He said: 鈥淭here is a strong feeling of togetherness in the farming community here.
鈥淵oung people working in the farming industry are concerned about the future with everything that鈥檚 going on, of course we are, but there is an understanding that if we support each other, we will come through this.鈥�
He added: 鈥淔arming is hard work, but it is a job and a lifestyle that many people love.
鈥淚 would recommend it to anyone; there are a wide variety of jobs out there in farming.
鈥淔or me, being out on the combine on a warm summer鈥檚 night, seeing the dust clouds spreading over the fields is always a special moment.鈥�
