| Abstract: | The small farmer may be reluctant to leave farming because his present income is adequate, he foresees difficulties in finding a satisfactory alternative or he has a strong preference for remaining in his present occupation. A survey carried out during 1967 among occupiers of small full-time farms in the Fens and Hertfordshire investigated causes of occupational immobility. Barriers to mobility beyond the farmer's control, like advanced age and lack of alternatives, were particularly important in the Fens. Younger farmers and those with a non-farm upbringing valued the intangible benefits of farming more highly. Contrary to expectations, farmers with a higher opportunity cost, through location, age and experience, showed stronger attachment to their present job. Since those who could change their occupation will not and those who would change cannot, there seems little prospect of encouraging small farmers to leave farming before they reach retiring age. |
