On pages 44 and 45, we report on the results of the Teagasc/Irish Farmers Journal BETTER farm Programme. Now in its sixth year, with the support of ABP, Kepak, Dawn and the FBD Trust, it is encouraging to see the average farm gross margin increasing from €300-€400/ha to €1,030/ha, typically translating into a net profit of €400-450/ha before basic payments. However, it is important to get behind the figures. The worrying trend is that even the most efficient suckler-to-weanling farms on marginal land are struggling to reach a viable gross margin. These figure reinforce the importance of providing direct supports to the suckler sector operating on marginal land.