Increased input costs are the biggest issue for the farm sector, according to farmers surveyed by the Irish Farmers Journal.
Some 84% of farmers surveyed said that the issue is a big challenge for their farm.
Half of all farmers surveyed ranked farm input costs as a major challenge, the highest classification possible in the survey.
The challenge posed by input costs was followed closely by that presented by falling farmgate prices, which 78% of farmers reported to be a big challenge for their farm.
Again, around half of farmers reported this to be a major challenge.
Recently released Teagasc figures show that 2022’s rise in farm input costs does not look like it will be reversed this year, despite “significant negative price movements” for many farm goods.
Cost of living
Three quarters of farmers surveyed identified the high cost of living as a big challenge for their farm families.
With the results also showing that only 4% of farmers expect their income to rise in 2023, a huge 24 out of every 25 farmers would anticipate a fall in the buying power of what they do manage to earn this year, given current levels of general inflation.
Interestingly, only 39% of farmers rated the impact of climate change on their farm enterprises as a big challenge, while 50% placed the availability of farm labour in the same category.
However, the survey was conducted just days before Met Éireann announced that July 2023 was the wettest on record, after recording four times the rainfall of July 2022 and twice that which was recorded the year before.
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Almost 80% of farmers fear income drop in 2023
Increased input costs are the biggest issue for the farm sector, according to farmers surveyed by the Irish Farmers Journal.
Some 84% of farmers surveyed said that the issue is a big challenge for their farm.
Half of all farmers surveyed ranked farm input costs as a major challenge, the highest classification possible in the survey.
The challenge posed by input costs was followed closely by that presented by falling farmgate prices, which 78% of farmers reported to be a big challenge for their farm.
Again, around half of farmers reported this to be a major challenge.
Recently released Teagasc figures show that 2022’s rise in farm input costs does not look like it will be reversed this year, despite “significant negative price movements” for many farm goods.
Cost of living
Three quarters of farmers surveyed identified the high cost of living as a big challenge for their farm families.
With the results also showing that only 4% of farmers expect their income to rise in 2023, a huge 24 out of every 25 farmers would anticipate a fall in the buying power of what they do manage to earn this year, given current levels of general inflation.
Interestingly, only 39% of farmers rated the impact of climate change on their farm enterprises as a big challenge, while 50% placed the availability of farm labour in the same category.
However, the survey was conducted just days before Met Éireann announced that July 2023 was the wettest on record, after recording four times the rainfall of July 2022 and twice that which was recorded the year before.
Read more
Almost 80% of farmers fear income drop in 2023
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