IFA President Joe Healy said today’s CSO figures for farm income in 2018 confirm the severe impact the adverse weather and external political events had on farming last year.
He said, “The headline figure showing a decrease of 16% was largely driven by a substantial hike of over €350m on feed. A combination of the late, wet Spring, Storm Emma & the summer drought added significantly to costs on farms during 2018 and affected the bottom line for farmers”.
Joe Healy said the value of cattle farming fell by €100m last year, another indicator of the severe pressure on livestock farmers’ incomes, mostly from the uncertainty caused by Brexit. There has been no lift in the early part of this year and immediate political action is needed.
The IFA President said the significant fall in farm incomes underlines the importance of strong supports for farmers in the next CAP.
The value of pig output fell by 11% last year as producers found themselves in a loss-making situation.
