Farm incomes show decline

FARM income was down 14.2% last year, according to the Central Statistics Office preliminary estimates published yesterday. This follows a 21.9% increase in 2005.

However, the CSO pointed out that the change to the single payment scheme and the timing of the payments of subsidies, with a large amount of arrears paid in 2005, had a large influence on the figures.

IFA president Padraig Walshe said farm income in 2005 clearly benefited from a once-off boost due to the timing of the changeover to the decoupled payments system.