Coveney welcomes 33% increase in farm production output

AGRICULTURE Minister Simon Coveney has welcomed the Central Statistics Office figures indicating that farm prod-uction output has jumped by a third during 2011.

The CSO estimate of a 33.4% rise in operating surplus showed growth in production levels across most agriculture sectors.

Mr Coveney said: “The increase in income was particularly strong in the cereals sector where improved prices resulted in a 52.5% rise in the output value of the sector.”