Ag industry ‘not getting any younger’

Agriculture remains a vital part of Vermilion Parish, with a large portion of experienced farmers making that happen.
That is the message Errol Domingues, local farmer and Vermilion’s Farm Bureau president, offered the Abbeville Kiwanis Club last week. The group invited Domingues to speak at its weekly meeting.
“Ag in Vermilion Parish is still pretty strong,” Domingues said. “It represents about $120 million impact to the parish. That is without any direct (federal) government associated payments.
“We (farmers) are still here, but our numbers are not getting any younger.”
Domingues, 42, said his age is closer to the floor than ceiling.
“We don’t have a lot of guys coming up behind me,” Domingues said. “I know a few younger guys than myself who are producing ag in the parish.
“I am a young sugar grower at 42 and we need younger growers to come behind to pick up and continue.”
The lack of youth in the industry is not just a Vermilion Parish issue. The average age of farmers in the United States is 62.
“It’s an industry issue all over the country,” Domingues said. “It’s nationwide, but it all turns back to Vermilion Parish.
“I am 42 right now and 20 years comes quick.”
The issue is on the minds of many involved in ag.
“Go to any ag organization across the nation and it is a grave concern,” Domingues said.
The son of a farmer, Domingues stepped into the family trade; though, the ag industry is not one to simply jump into.
“It is very expensive,” Domingues said. “It is literally impossible to get started without some assistance from a family member or another farm.”
Domingues has two sons, both of whom are not certain at this point to follow in his footsteps.
“My oldest is in college and has no desire to make a life on the farm,” Domingues said. “My youngest is 12 and who knows where he will want to end up.”
Anyone interested in delving into the industry would receive a clear image of what is ahead if he or she seeks Domingues’ opinion.
“I don’t discourage,” he said. “When they ask, I paint the whole picture for them.”
That includes the uncontrollable costs.
“We get what price is offered at harvest,” Domingues explained. “In most other businesses, you put something on the shelf and you have a price increase, more than likely your neighbor in the same business will have a price increase. All of your prices will rise if you have to recover your cost. We have no control over that.
“There are a lot of uncontrollables in ag.”
Despite issues that can be viewed from the outside as negative, farmers in Vermilion continue on.
“We are still here,” Domingues said. “Ag in Vermilion Parish still has a presence. It is a 100-plus industry.
“I think it is a positive thing and an economic driver for all of our homes and all of the businesses.”