Some 19% of tillage farmers expect to lose money this year, according to the latest Irish Farmers Journal reader survey.

However another 23% expect to make a profit, while 58% of them said that they expect to break even.

This survey is representative of a relatively small sample of 75 farmers in total.

Some 17% of tillage farmers have said that their tillage area will be down this year compared to 2023.

Just over 76% of farmers said that their area will stay the same as 2023 and another 7% said it will increase on last year. Of those who said that their tillage area will decrease this year, 46% said that it will decrease by up to 10%.

Some 39% said that their area would decrease by between 11% and 20% while 15% of farmers said it would decrease by over 40%.

Of those farmers who expect their acreage to increase, 60% of farmers said they expect an increase of up to 10%.

Another fifth of the farmers see their tillage area growing by between 21% and 30% while the remaining fifth see it increasing by over 40%.

Some 41% of tillage farmers said they will take part in the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) in 2024.

Of those who do plan to join, half plan to chop the same amount of straw as last year, while 27% said they plan on chopping more straw in 2024 compared to 2023.