Irish Farmers spending 99% of time to earn 6% of income
IRELAND - The Teagasc farm income survey, which has shown that farmers are spending 99% of their time earning one twentieth on their income, highlights the Government’s failure to improve returns from our prime food produce, according to Fine Gael Agriculture and Food Spokesperson, Deputy Denis Naughten.
19 October 2006
2 minute read
“It is a damming indictment of Agriculture and Food policy in this country that the average income farmers received from the market place, excluding direct payments, was only €1,360, (6% of farm income) in 2005,” he said.
“This clearly highlights the fact that, while the Government has been encouraging other sectors of the economy to move up the value chain, farmers are going in the opposite direction with little or no assistance being provided to improve their income from production,” he stressed.
“When this factor and the impact of increases in the overall cost of production and the cost of living are taken into account, then farmers are making a negative return.
“Last December, Fine Gael published figures which highlighted the fact that the average Irish farmer lost €3,899 in 2005 or €75/week. At that time, the full consideration of the huge impact of energy costs could not be taken into account. Now, recent CSO figures have revealed that on-farm energy costs have risen by 17% in the last 12 months.
Source: Roscommon Herald
