FOCUS ON THE WICKLOW COUNTRYSIDE Income figures drop by 9% By

FARM income figures released by Teagasc highlight the critical importance of both price returns and direct supports for farm enterprises, and the need for a continued focus on both of these issues by the Minister for Agriculture and Irish Government, according to the IFA. Chair of Wicklow IFA Chris Hill said this week that Wicklow is a diverse county with ‘every type of farmer’.

‘There are a number of factors to consider here but fundamentally it comes down to price. Everyone in the chain is getting a fair piece of the pie but the producers and if we are not getting a fair price then it is going to affect our incomes,’ he said.

Chris added that in recent years, the majority of Wicklow farmers have no option but to use their basic farm payment to supplement the running of their farms even though it was initially set out as a market support mechanism. The figures released in the 2016 National Farm Survey showed that average farm income fell by 9 per cent in 2016, to €24,060.

Dairy farmers experienced a drop of €10,000 or 17 per cent and tillage farmers saw a 10 per cent drop in incomes. While Chris Hill says that milk prices have now improved, sheep and tillage markets are still sluggish.

IFA President Joe Healy added that ‘the Teagasc figures highlight the critical importance of the industry returning a strong price to farmers when the market can support it. Based on the current positive market outlook, IFA is clear that co-ops now have scope to increase the May milk price by up to 2c/l.’ ‘The Teagasc analysis makes clear the ongoing issue of low farm income in drystock sectors, with farmers continuing to produce at or below the costs of production. Delays in payments compound the cashflow pressures on these farms, and it is unacceptable that farmers have been left waiting long periods for payment due to administrative bottlenecks,’ he added.