Farm incomes likely to fall €13k

Farmers are in urgent need of a new agri environmental options scheme (AEOS) scheme to narrow the gap between good 2011 average incomes and 2012 figures which are likely to be down €13,000 for the year, warns the IFA.

CSO figures for 2011 show a 30.1% average rise in farm incomes compared with 2010, equivalent to a salary of over €21,500. In fact, farmer incomes have grown two years in a row, with the 2011 rise following a 27% jump in 2010 compared with 2009.

These figures, released yesterday, are in line earlier with estimates published in February. The CSO attributes the gains primarily to an increase of 16.8% in goods output, with most sectors of farming enjoying a boost in output.