Farms on the brink following a 46% drop in income

It’s easy when we see a farmer in a shiny new tractor to think there is money in farming. However, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has reported that income from farm businesses across Northern Ireland (NI) is expected to decrease by 46% this year. The provisional figures show that farm income in NI is down from £609 million in 2022 to £341 million in 2023, with dairy and arable experiencing the most significant decrease.

Countryside Alliance Ireland, as well as individuals such as Jeremy Clarkson, have called for young people to get involved in farming over the summer holidays, highlighting the many benefits farming provides and how Northern Ireland still depends heavily on its agri-food industry.

With bad weather and falling market prices, coupled with increases in the cost of animal feed, farmers are getting hit financially from every angle and the perfect storm has continued into 2024.

Farmers are at the mercy of elements that are out of their control. In other professions, no one would stand for this kind of reduction in their annual wages, yet that is what farm families are now dealing with.

With farm incomes dramatically decreased, a Minister of Agriculture that will not address the bTB issue and a Department that wishes to reduce the reimbursement amount paid to farmers who have lost cattle to this horrible disease, and threats of considerable fines for any environmental breaches, what incentive is there for the next generation of farming?

This stresses the importance of the Basic Payment Scheme, particularly a resilience payment to local farm families in NI. They need appropriate support to be able to maintain a viable farm business that can manage such financial challenges.

If we wish for farmers to continue to provide food security, care for the environment, and produce the high-quality food that consumers expect, they must be better supported. It would be detrimental to our farming industry and the entire NI agri-food industry to have every penny invested into environmental payments when farmers are struggling to keep their businesses afloat.

For the young to take a role in farming, the Minister and DAERA need to show a clear career path with appropriate support. Otherwise, we will continue to experience brain drain and lose talent to other countries like Australia or New Zealand, which are very keen to exploit the skills and talents of our young farmers and give them a lifestyle and standard of living to be proud of.

Access DAERA’s first (provisional) estimate for farm incomes in 2023 here. Revisions have been made to previous years' reports.