Good news for dairymen, very bad news for those in beef

A dramatic increase in profits in 2017 on dairy farms is forecast by Teagasc economists at its annual review of the agricultural sector published on Tuesday. At the same time it forecast a substantial fall in margins and incomes (from already low levels) on beef farms in 2017.

Furthermore, an analysis of the potential impact of Brexit shows that the beef sector is likely to endure greater income losses than others.

Agricultural economists use two measures, ‘gross margin’ and ‘net margin’, when evaluating.