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More than four in 10 farmers are planning to increase farm output in the next two years, the poll revealed.
Young farmers are among the most likely to expand, with 73% of those aged 18 to 34 saying they will increase farm output.
Specialist dairy farmers are also likely to expand, with 59% of them planning to grow output in the next 24 months.
Farmers with bigger farms are the third category most likely to expand, with 52% of farmers with 61ha or more planning to ramp up production.
Almost half of those who plan to increase output will do so by up to 15%, but one in four expanding farmers will increase output by between 16% and 25%.
Specialist dairy and tillage farmers are the most bullish. Some 30% of dairy farmers are planning to push up milk output by between 16% and 25%, while 34% of tillage farmers plan to increase their crop output by anything from 16% to 30%.
Some 13% of the 1,000 farmers surveyed will scale back in the next two years, with farmers on under 20ha the most likely to cut back.
The remaining 45% of farmers intend to steady the ship at current output.
Farmers aged over 55, those in Connacht and Ulster and mixed grazing/livestock farmers are the most likely to stick with their current yield.
With quite a high number of farmers planning to expand, it comes as no surprise that a quarter of all farmers will require additional labour to run their farm within the next two years.
The most popular option (42%) is family members, but one in three intend to take on a part-time employee.
Agricultural contractors are an option for more than one in five farmers in need of an extra pair of hands.
A full-time employee will be needed by 9% of farmers, while 8% will use the services of farm relief companies.
SHARING OPTIONS: