Almost half the country’s farmers plan to reduce stock numbers due to the hike in input costs and the likelihood of tighter fodder supplies this winter.

A survey of 1,248 farmers carried out by the Irish Farmers Journal found that 48% of livestock farmers intended to cut animal numbers this year.

Just 4% plan to increase numbers, the survey found, with a further 48% of respondents indicating that they intended retaining their existing stocking levels.

Fifty-four per cent of beef farmers surveyed said they intended to cull animals.

While 3% of beef farmers intend to increase numbers, 43% said they planned to hold at current stocking levels.

Similar trends were evident among sheep farmers.

The survey found that 57% planned to cut numbers, with just 2% aiming to expand. The remaining 41% were holding at current sheep numbers.

It was a different story for dairy farmers, where a little under one-third (32%) of respondents planned to reduce cow numbers this year. Meanwhile, 7% aimed to increase cow numbers, with 61% staying at current levels.

Beef farmers also indicated that they are more likely to make bigger cuts in numbers than their dairy counterparts.

Forty-two percent of beef farmers plan to reduce numbers by 10% to 20%, with 15% confirming that cuts of up to 30% were being planned.

While one-third of beef farmers said they planned to cut numbers by less than 10%, a further 9% plan to reduce their herds by more than 30%.

Meanwhile, 54% of dairy farmers aimed to cut their herds by less than 10%, with 34% of those surveyed aiming to reduce numbers by between 10% and 20%. A further 11% indicated that they aim to cull up to 30% of their cows.

Regional

In terms of a regional split, while 41% and 44% of livestock farmers in Munster and Leinster plan to reduce numbers, the corresponding figure for both Connacht and Ulster was 56%.