Poor weather conditions in 2018 had a severe impact on farm incomes, with a 22% drop in suckler farm incomes and a 31% drop in dairy incomes.
According to the Teagasc National Farm Survey for 2018, the average suckler farm earned just €8,318.
Cattle finishers also experienced a drop in income, though not as steep as sucklers. Finishers experienced a drop of 11%, with incomes going down to €14,408.
Dairy incomes
The average dairy farm earned €61,273 – down from €88,829 in 2017. According to Teagasc economist Dr Emma Dillon, dairy farmers took the biggest hit of any farm sector.
“Concentrate feed use on dairy farms rose by almost one-third to over 1,300kg/cow,” she reported.
Prolonged poor weather during the spring and the summer drought also drove feed costs up by 34%.
Fertiliser, machinery contracting and fuel costs were also driven up, as farmers utilised every tool to maximise grass growth in a difficult year.
Sheep farmers
Sheep farm incomes dropped by 21% in 2018. This represented a drop from €17,357 to €13,769.
They also experienced increased use of feed and fertiliser use, which eroded margins in sheep farming.
Tillage
There was a mixed bag for tillage farmers, with yields down but prices up for some farmers.
Winter crops seemed to do better in terms of their yield and performance compared with spring-sown crops.
In positive news, the National Farm Survey shows that there was an 18% rise in the average tillage income to €42,678.
Farm family incomes
Overall, farm family incomes took a 21% hit in 2018 – down to an average of €29,774. However, this figure varied between different farm systems.
This year, Teagasc expanded the remit of its survey, so it included a larger percentage of smaller farms that met the €8,000 threshold for consideration to be included in the survey.
Read more
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Poor weather conditions in 2018 had a severe impact on farm incomes, with a 22% drop in suckler farm incomes and a 31% drop in dairy incomes.
According to the Teagasc National Farm Survey for 2018, the average suckler farm earned just €8,318.
Cattle finishers also experienced a drop in income, though not as steep as sucklers. Finishers experienced a drop of 11%, with incomes going down to €14,408.
Dairy incomes
The average dairy farm earned €61,273 – down from €88,829 in 2017. According to Teagasc economist Dr Emma Dillon, dairy farmers took the biggest hit of any farm sector.
“Concentrate feed use on dairy farms rose by almost one-third to over 1,300kg/cow,” she reported.
Prolonged poor weather during the spring and the summer drought also drove feed costs up by 34%.
Fertiliser, machinery contracting and fuel costs were also driven up, as farmers utilised every tool to maximise grass growth in a difficult year.
Sheep farmers
Sheep farm incomes dropped by 21% in 2018. This represented a drop from €17,357 to €13,769.
They also experienced increased use of feed and fertiliser use, which eroded margins in sheep farming.
Tillage
There was a mixed bag for tillage farmers, with yields down but prices up for some farmers.
Winter crops seemed to do better in terms of their yield and performance compared with spring-sown crops.
In positive news, the National Farm Survey shows that there was an 18% rise in the average tillage income to €42,678.
Farm family incomes
Overall, farm family incomes took a 21% hit in 2018 – down to an average of €29,774. However, this figure varied between different farm systems.
This year, Teagasc expanded the remit of its survey, so it included a larger percentage of smaller farms that met the €8,000 threshold for consideration to be included in the survey.
Read more
Bank of Ireland says farm profitability is feeling the pinch
Watch: farmers need a greater margin returned to them
Farm viability central to new Mayo agricultural strategy
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