Farm income down 18%: Teagasc estimate

Farm income pessimism was overdone this year, with this week’s new estimates from Teagasc painting a better than expected picture.

Earnings were expected to decline after a spectacular year of growth in 2017, and 2018’s very late spring and summer drought. There were estimates in the summer and autumn that dairy farm incomes might fall to nearly half their 2017 levels.