Farmers will ‘wait and see’

When pressed, farmers have told Teagasc they will react to the Single Farm Payment system by reducing their sheep numbers by 6% and their cereal acreages by 12%, in the “medium term”.

They expect to increase the area devoted to forestry.

But their general outlook is to “wait and see” how the new system develops from January 1 next, said Liam Connolly, Head of Teagasc’s National Farm Survey, speaking at the Situation and Outlook Conference this week.