South-west remains agricultural stronghold as entrepreneurial income totals €456m
Milk and cereals were the two agricultural products that saw the largest decrease in value in 2023, with milk down 30% and cereals by 52%. Picture: David Creedon
The south-west remains Ireland's agricultural stronghold with Cork and Kerry comprising 21% of the overall entrepreneurial income generated in 2023.
New figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Wednesday show that the south-west was the largest milk-producing region in the country.
Still, despite its stronghold, its operating surplus dropped by 46% to €624m, while the region's entrepreneurial income fell by more than half to €456m.
Milk and cereals were the two agricultural products that saw the largest decrease in value in 2023, with milk down 30% and cereals by 52%.
However, the CSO noted that increases in the value of pigs, up 7%, poultry, up 8% and potatoes, which grew by 30%, helped to limit some regions’ exposure to the full impact of the fall in milk and cereal values on their agricultural income.
"At a national level, there were significant contractions in the value of agricultural output at basic prices which was down by €1.6bn, intermediate consumption costs by €127m, operating surplus by €1.9bn, and entrepreneurial income, which factors in the cost of net interest and land rental, by €2.0bn," said Mairead Griffin, statistician in the Agricultural Accounts & Production Section.
Ms Griffin said that to fully understand the performance of agriculture in 2023, it is worth comparing it with 2019, the last year before the upheaval to world markets caused by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
"Compared with 2019, which was not a particularly good year for the sector, the value of agricultural output at basic prices in 2023 was up by €2.8bn (+33%), intermediate consumption costs were €2.2bn (+39%) higher, operating surplus grew by just €45m (+2%), while entrepreneurial income was €316m (-13%) lower."
The south-east, comprising Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, and Wexford, produced 30% of Irish cereals and 19% of Irish milk, while the mid-west, comprising Clare, Limerick, and Tipperary, was the second largest producer of milk and experienced the biggest falls in agricultural income, with operating surpluses down more than 48% and Entrepreneurial Incomes contracting by over 60%.
The west region, comprising Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon, which had the lowest dependency on milk for its income, also had the smallest reduction in agricultural income, with its operating surplus down by 17% and entrepreneurial income by 19%.
The border region, made up of Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, and Sligo, was the largest pig and poultry producer in the country in 2023 and experienced the second smallest fall in agricultural income. The region's operating surplus declined by 17% while its entrepreneurial income decreased by 22%.
Operating surplus in the Dublin & mid-east region, which is the State’s largest producer of crops, fell by 39%, while its entrepreneurial income contracted by 50%.
The midland region, comprising Laois, Longford, Offaly, and Westmeath, was the second smallest agricultural producing region, with its operating surplus dropping by 39% while its entrepreneurial income contracted by 54%.
