20,400 fewer full-time farmers
Replying to Dr Mary Upton (Labour), she said the most recent figures available from the Central Statistics Office show that there were 77,900 full-time farmers, as defined by the CSO, in 2003.
Over the same period (1997-2003) the number of part-time farmers increased by 7,900 to 57,200. Ms Coughlan said the agri-vision 2015 committee believed the trend to part-time farming, using a different definition than the CSO, will continue. “The ongoing trend towards part-time farming reflects a combination of factors, including the increased availability of off-farm employment.
