Small farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to find someone to take over their farms when they stop work, according to Wageningen University researchers.

Just one in four small farmers manages to find a successor because the low income their businesses generate does not make them attractive. Takeovers are also difficult to finance, the researchers say.

By contrast, 80% of large farms are taken over without difficulty.

This has led to consolidation in the sector, with small farms merging to create larger entities. The national statistics office CBS said last year the number of small farms in the Netherlands has fallen 40% to 40,000 over the past 12 years.