Almost 40% of Irish dairy farmers who plan to invest in their farms next year, plan on investing in slurry storage, the latest survey from the Irish Farmers Journal has revealed.

Overall, 72% of the 223 dairy farmers surveyed have plans to invest in their farm next year – the most of any sector. Almost two in five of these cited slurry storage as part of their investment intentions.

Dairy farmers had the exact same level of interest in investing in solar as they did slurry storage. Of dairy farmers with investment plans for next year, farm buildings were the most likely option for money to be put into at 47%.

Investment in 2025

In total, seven in 10 of the 885 farmer survey respondents said they had plans for farm investment in 2025.

Sheep farmers were least likely (67%) to say they would invest in their farm next year. Meanwhile, 68% of tillage farmers, 69% of suckler farmers and 71% of cattle finishers intend to put money into their farm next year.

Over half of suckler farmers said they would invest in farm buildings, while 59% of sheep farmers and 61% of cattle finishers had similar plans.

Tillage farmers were by far the most likely to buy farm machinery, with almost four in five responding they would do so in 2025.

Just under half of suckler farmers have plans to purchase new machinery next year, while 40% of dairy farmers and 38% of sheep farmers plan to buy next year.

Ulster farmers in Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal were more likely than their provincial counterparts to invest next year, with 73% intending to do so.

They were closely followed by Leinster farmers (72%), while Munster and Connacht farmers were least likely to have investment plans next year, with 67% and 68% planning to do so respectively.