The number of people employed in agriculture is falling alarmingly in the west of Ireland. There are now 40% fewer people working in farming, forestry and fishing than there were in 1996.

Figures from the Western Development Commission show that an increase in those working in the sector recorded in the 2011 census has been rapidly and completely eroded in the past six years.

From 2011 to 2016 alone, numbers in the sector fell by 1,715, or 7%, in the five Connacht counties, Clare and Donegal.

The signs have been there for some time. There has been a significant fall in suckler cow numbers in the region since 2012, with 18,543 fewer cows, a 4.3% drop.

Donegal alone has seen a near 10% drop in suckler cow numbers. An Irish Farmers Journal investigation identified a €177/hd drop in support for suckler cows over the last decade as a factor in the decline of cow numbers.

There is growing concern about the amount of land being planted to forestry in western and northwestern counties, and the slow uptake of BGDP and GLAS by the most vulnerable farmers.

Galway TD Sean Canney, a minister of state until June, called for faster processing of payments. “Increased bureaucratic requirements are making farming difficult ... leading to fewer and larger farms,” he said.

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Is the writing on the wall for the Irish suckler cow?

Map: West dominates BDGP cow numbers