Dairy strongholds in South increase cattle numbers over past decade

Dairy strongholds in counties Waterford, Cork, Tipperary and Wexford have all added to their number of cattle per farm over the past decade, according to the 2010 CSO Census of Agriculture.

While average herd size has fallen dramatically to below 40 cattle per farm in counties like Dublin and Kildare, the number exceeds 50 in Waterford and Cork, with other neighbouring counties in the South and South-East all having comparable numbers, as indicated by the CSO’s preliminary findings.

The widening gap becomes more evident when you compare the Border, Midland and Western region’s overall steady average of around 28 cows for both the census of 2000 and that of 2010, with the South and South-East overall average rise from 41 to 45 cows per farm over the ten years.

IFA economist Rowena Dwyer said: “Overall, the numbers have held up well for the past ten years, and structures are improving.

“We will have to see the full report to see the breakdown between smaller and bigger farms. What we have seen so far is just a snapshot, but a very encouraging one.

“Viewed over the decade, there was a steady decline in farmer numbers, but that has stabilised now. We also need to see more about the age profile of Irish farmers, and find out more about how farms are being divided out in terms of fragmentation and farming intensity.

Ms Dwyer also noted the most marked trend in the CSO figures was how the falls in sheep prices had impacted upon the output and farmer numbers for that sector.