Survey indicates 59% increase in sheep flock
Farmers plan increases of 52% in milk output, 40% in beef output, and almost 60% in sheep numbers between now and 2021, according to a survey of 275 farmers in recent months by Dr Pat Bogue of Broadmore Research on behalf of Ulster Bank, in association with the Agricultural Consultants Association.
Almost 60% of sheep farmers surveyed plan to double their flocks on average by 2021, giving an increase of 59% in the national flock.
The planned increase by 2015 is 38%.
These figures are substantially higher than the industry’s planned Food Harvest 2020 target of a 20% increase in the national sheep flock.
Just over 60% of beef farmers surveyed plan to increase stock numbers by an average of 69% by 2021, giving an overall national increase of 40%. The planned Food Harvest 2020 increase in stock numbers by 2015 is 22%.
Just 6% of non-dairy farmers would consider converting to dairying, when milk quotas are removed in 2015.
Nine out of 10 farmers surveyed plan to invest in livestock, housing, slurry storage or machinery over the next three years.
The mix of funding for investment and expansion is farm cash flow (41%), borrowing (38%), savings (14%) and off-farm income (7%).
