Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) president Sean McNamara has said that the figures included in Teagasc's 2024 national farm survey must be viewed in context.

"An increase of 93% or 115% sounds impressive, but when you are starting from rock bottom, a big increase of very little is still very little," he said.

McNamara argued that we cannot afford to get too carried away with percentage increases when the actual income figures in the beef, suckler and sheep sectors remain far behind other sectors - and far below a decent standard of living.

"You can’t live on percentages, what matters is the actual income," he said.

According to Teagasc, average family farm income rose by 87% to just under €36,000 in 2024, driven by improved output prices and some easing in input costs.

However, suckler farmers had an average income of just €13,500, while beef farmers earned around €18,000 and sheep farmers just under €28,000.

“These are the incomes of hardworking families trying to survive in rural Ireland and the reality is they still fall significantly behind average earnings in most other sectors of the economy.

"We welcome any signs of improvement, but we must not lose sight of the fact that the economic viability of these sectors is still fragile at best.

"We mustn’t forget that just 42% of farms were deemed economically viable by Teagasc in 2024 - even after this so-called rebound," he said.

McNamara added that the "rock-bottom" incomes in the years leading up to 2024 have already taken a serious toll.

'Forced out'

Too many farmers, he said, were forced out in those years simply because they could not make ends meet.

"I would also question whether there is anything in these latest figures that would inspire the next generation to follow in our footsteps. The bottom line is that if we want a future for these sectors, incomes need to be not just better, but consistently viable," he said.