44% fall in total farming income in Northern Ireland

Total farming income in Northern Ireland has fallen by 44%, new figures show.

Stormont Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir described the slump as disappointing, but said it is a reflection of the fall in milk prices coupled with an increase in input costs.

The first provisional estimate for 2023 farm incomes indicates that total income from farming in Northern Ireland fell by 44% from £609 million in 2022 to £341 million in 2023.

Mr Muir said decreases are also expected for cereal, dairy and mixed farms, but increases are expected for cattle, sheep and pig farms.

“It is disappointing that the total income from farming figure for the industry as a whole decreased between 2022 and 2023 by 44%,” he said.

“This decrease reflects the reduced milk prices from the record high levels of the previous year and the continued elevation in input costs for the agriculture sector.

“Income estimates for specific farm types also show that, while decreases are expected for cereals, dairy and mixed farms between 2022 and 2023, there are small increases expected for cattle and sheep farms and more substantial increases for pig farms because of the rise in pig meat prices during 2023.”

He added: “Fluctuating market conditions is not a new problem, but it remains a very difficult issue for farmers to address.

“These fluctuations are mainly due to price influences across world markets which are very much outside our control. Consequently, my department focuses effort on helping farmers mitigate cost and price pressures by improving their productivity and resilience, while also addressing their environmental sustainability levels.

“These are the goals of our new farm support and development programme. Cafre (the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise) continues to offer relevant training and support to farmers in pursuit of these policy objectives.”