At 23, Mario Selo left his industrial mechatronics studies to take over his family's agricultural business in Madridejos, Toledo. He offers €70 per day during harvest, up to €1,540 for 22 days of work, yet still struggles to attract young Spaniards to join his crew in the fields.
Mario's connection to farming runs deep. Raised alongside his father and uncle, he learned to sow and prune early; fertilizing and harvesting came with the seasons. After completing his advanced degree, he chose the unpredictability of the land over the stability of an industrial job. On the family plot, he manages vineyards and olive groves, as well as almond trees and pistachios.
Unstable Income, Uncertain Future
The daily wage he offers is competitive, exceeding the average gross monthly salary of €1,372.8 for Spaniards under 25, information from the National Statistics Institute. But Mario is quick to point out that agricultural income is anything but steady. Profits depend on harvest yields and market prices, while the weather can also affect them. In lean years, he supplements his earnings by working for other farms, a reality familiar to many in Spain's rural heartland.
Even with these incentives, Mario finds it difficult to recruit young Spanish workers. His first attempts to assemble a team of under-25s relied on friends and acquaintances, most of whom had no prior experience in agriculture. The struggle extends beyond his region: across the European Union, the average age of farmers is 57, and only 12% are under 40. The European Commission aims to double the number of young farmers by 2040, but the path remains steep.
The Commission describes generational renewal as a continuing challenge for European agriculture, tying it to the future of food production and farm succession. Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen said the Commission was examining ways to “further minimise reporting obligations” and “motivate young people to become farmers.” Its broader agricultural vision looks toward 2040. Eurostat’s farm-structure statistics have tracked changes in holdings and the composition of the sector over six decades. They also show why age measures need careful interpretation: the ages of farm managers and agricultural workers differ from those of everyone employed in farming.
Regional figures elsewhere in Spain illustrate the age imbalance, though they do not describe Madridejos or Toledo specifically. Cristóbal Aguado, president of the farmers’ association AVA-ASAJA, told El Mundo’s Castellón edition that only one in 300 farmers is younger than 25. He put the average age of agricultural professionals in the Valencian Community at 65. Aguado also cited 180,000 hectares of abandoned land in the region, linking generational replacement to the viability of keeping land in production.
Social Media as a Recruitment Tool
To bridge the gap, Mario turned to social media. He first shared instructional videos on pruning and harvesting in private WhatsApp* (принадлежит Metа, которая признана экстремистской организацией и запрещена в РФ) groups, then expanded to Instagram and TikTok under the handle @agr.selo. At the time of his interview, he had nearly 10,000 followers across both platforms. Mario uses digital channels to demystify farm work and attract a new generation to the fields. Some young Spaniards have responded, but they remain a minority among his seasonal crews.
Mario's approach shows how social media can connect rural jobs with urban youth. It also points to deeper problems facing Spanish agriculture: inconsistent earnings and limited career prospects, alongside the ongoing exodus of young people from rural areas. In Mario's view, the sector's sustainability depends on offering newcomers viable long-term opportunities and competitive wages.
Generational Tensions and Policy Challenges
The difficulties Mario faces echo across Spain's agricultural sector. In a recent court case in La Rioja, a retired farmer was ordered to repay nearly €47,000 after authorities found that he had continued managing his farm while drawing a full pension. The case reflects the complex legal and economic pressures shaping rural life. Read more about the pension and farm work conflict in La Rioja.
As policymakers push for generational renewal in agriculture, stories like Mario's show the promise and limits of grassroots solutions. The Commission’s focus on reducing administrative burdens and attracting new entrants addresses a challenge larger than recruiting for a single harvest: sustaining viable farms and creating opportunities for the next generation. Without broader reforms to stabilize incomes and improve rural prospects, young talent may remain difficult to attract to the fields.
