Archive:Farm structure in Ireland - 2007 results
- Data from October 2008. Most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database.
This article is part of a series of country-specific essays on the results of the European Union (EU) Farm structure survey (FSS) 2007. It provides a brief but nevertheless comprehensive insight into farm structure in Ireland.
The 2007 FSS recorded 128 200 agricultural holdings in Ireland, which represents a 3 % decrease since 2005. The farms with at least 1 European size unit (ESU) have suffered a more significant reduction (6 %). This drop affects all size classes, but with greater impact on the farms under 5 ha (-21 %).
Main statistical findings
93% of Irish farms are livestock specialists
In 2007, about 117 900 agricultural holdings in Ireland had an economic size of at least one European size unit (ESU), compared to 125 500 in 2005 (a 6 % reduction). The increase in the number of farms with less than 1 ESU was 44 % from 2005 to 2007.
These farms made use of 4.02 million hectares (ha) of utilised agricultural area, (3 % less when compared with 4.16 million ha in 2005), which makes the average size of a holding in Ireland 34 ha. See Graph 1 for the distribution of UAA in terms of farm size, while Table 2 describes the size distribution and other characteristics of the agricultural holdings.
These holdings employed 141 000 annual work units (AWUs), the equivalent of 141 000 people working full time, a decrease of 5 % since 2005. The organization and distribution of the labour force in Ireland is described in Graph 2 and Table 1.
The farms contained 5.9 million livestock units (LSU) in 2007, 5 % less than in 2005. The distribution of livestock by farm size is shown in Table 4 and Graph 3.
Amongst the 117 900 agricultural holdings in 2007:
- 33 % made use of less than one AWU, while another 15 % made use of two or more AWUs;
- 39 % used less than 20 ha, while 4 % used 100 ha or more;
- 93 % of Irish farms specialised in livestock;
- 16 % were specialists in dairy farming;
- 21 % were engaged in breeding sheep, goats and other grazing livestock;
- 54 % were specialists in cattle – rearing and fattening.
Amongst the sole holders:
- 10 % were women in 2007;
- 50 % were aged 55 or more and 5 % were younger than 35 years; and
- 43 % had another gainful activity in 2007 (compared to 37 % in 2005).
In Ireland in 2007, 81 % of the agricultural area was farmed by its owners.
The family labour force represents 93 % of the total agricultural labour force - a 5 % decrease from 2005 to 2007.
The area farmed under organic production methods increased by 15 % from 2005 but its impact still remains small on the overall UAA (0.54%). The number of organic farms is stable since 2005. Details of land use by size of farm are given in Table 3.
The number of holdings with dairy cows decreased by 11 %. The number of farms specialized in dairy cows also registered a 9 % reduction.
The 2007 FSS results show a general decrease in livestock units, this tendency is more evident in the number of sheep (-15 %) and goats (-13 %).
75 % of the UAA in Ireland is permanent grassland and meadow.
The area of forage plants decreased by 14 % since 2005, that corresponds to less than 2 % of the UAA.
91 % of the Irish farm animals are grazing livestock.
The situation for subsistence farming in Ireland is outlined in Table 5.
Data sources and availability
Due to the different coverage of the FSS across Member States, the total number of farms is not comparable between countries. This is why the present analysis, including Tables 1-4 and the graphs focus on holdings of at least one European size unit (ESU).
The 2007 survey on the structure of agricultural holdings in Ireland was carried out with the reference day on the 1st June 2007. The reference period for labour force was the preceding 12 months.
Prior to this survey a full-scale agriculture census was carried out in 2000 and it was the main source for the Farm register. The EU sample surveys in 2003, 2005 and 2007 were based on it. The farm register is regularly updated with administrative sources and other national farm surveys (with a much smaller scope and covering approximately 20% of the population frame) that are held every year.
The target population was the agricultural holdings recorded in the farm register. No threshold was applied in advance to define the holding (a single unit, both technically and economically, which has a single management and which produces agricultural products), but the surveyed farms with less than 1 ha, less than 1 livestock unit and not engaged in any specialist activity were excluded.
The sampling frame for the 2007 FSS was 132 284 holdings. 76 969 farms were sampled using a regional breakdown and 10 different strata regarding the typology and the size (economic and area). A specific stratum for the new farms was also included. Two thirds of the sampled units matched with the ones from the 2005 or 2006 surveys.
The questionnaires were printed and mailed. A preprinted barcode on the first page was used to identify each survey form, which was then scanned and electronically transferred to the farm register.
The check of the data was assisted by software which detects the missing values and unrecognizable digits.
The compiled dataset was checked by other built-in validations. The response rate for the surveys was 72%. Partial non-response was, in some cases, imputed using previous survey results.
Between FSS 2005 and 2007 "maintaining land in good agricultural and environmental conditions" (GAEC) became an agricultural activity and the land concerned with this new activity has been included in the agricultural area. In Ireland it covers 10 425 ha, 94 % being in farms with at least one ESU.
For each activity (`enterprise`) on a farm (for instance producing wheat, dairy cow or vineyard), a Standard gross margin is estimated, based on the area (or the head count of livestock) and a regional coefficient. The sum of such margins in a farm is its economic size, expressed in European size units (ESU). One ESU is equivalent to 1 200 EUR SGM.
An 'annual work unit' (AWU) is equivalent to a worker employed on a full time basis for one year. In Ireland it is 1 800 hours (225 working days of 8 working hours per day).
Context
European Commission Rural development policy aims to improve competitiveness in agriculture and forestry, improve the environment and countryside, improve the quality of life in rural areas and encourage the diversification of rural economies.
As agriculture has modernized and the importance of industry and services within the economy has increased, so agriculture has become much less important as a source of jobs. Consequently, increasing emphasis is placed on the role farmers can play in rural development, including forestry, biodiversity, the diversification of the rural economy to create alternative jobs and environmental protection in rural areas.
The FSS continues to adapt to provide timely and relevant data to help analyse and follow these developments.
See also
Further Eurostat information
Publications
- Farm Structure Survey in Ireland - 2007 - Statistics in focus 20/2009
- National Methodological Report – FSS 2007 Ireland (available on request)
Main tables
- Agriculture, see:
- Farm structure: historical data (1990-2007) (t_ef)
Database
- Agriculture, see:
- Farm Structure (ef)
Dedicated section
- Agriculture, see:
- Ad-hoc tables: Farm Structure Survey
Methodology / Metadata
- Farm structure (ESMS metadata file — ef_esms)