Ireland's farming population falls

Ireland's farming population is on the way down – but still ahead of most other European states, according to the latest figures.

The Department of Agriculture and Food’s Compendium of Agricultural Statistics has confirmed that the number of farmers in the country fell by 3,100 to 136,000 in 2002.

Currently 108,200 people, 95,400 of them men, are employed by farmers in an industry that has for so long played a vital role in the Irish economy. Last year, the value of agri-food produce exports added up to €6.7bn.

And the figures also showed that 40% of Ireland’s 3.92 million population base themselves in rural areas.

Agriculture as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product in the European Union as a whole averages 1.7%, while that of the about-to-join candidate countries stood at 3.1% in 2002.

Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh, said the department’s compendium was of use to those who needed ready access to structured information on a broad range of aspects on the agricultural economy.

And Agri-Aware, the body which promotes farming, welcomed the publication of the statistics saying they showed the continuing crucial importance of Ireland’s farming and food industry.

Padraig Healy, their general manager, commented “The agriculture and food industry is shown to account for 9% of total employment or over 160,000 jobs.

“The statistics show that in only two other member states of the current EU, Greece and Portugal, is agriculture more important in terms of its share of employment.”

He also said the figures highlighted the growing importance of off-establishment employment on farms.

On 48.1% of Ireland’s farms, either the farmer holder or the spouse has employment away from the farm. And in 34.6% of farm households, it is the farmer who has that job.