Six in 10 farmers are concerned about the future viability of their farm enterprises, according to a comprehensive independent survey commissioned by Agriland and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA).
The research survey was conducted by Opinions Research with more than 1,500 people who class themselves as the ‘decision makers’ on the farm.
The survey findings substantiate the recent and extensive coverage relating to the decline of Irish farm incomes.
While current farm income is a concern to just under half of Irish farmers, we see that the outlook is significantly more concerning. Six in 10 Irish farmers are concerned about the future viability of their farm.
Examining the change in farm incomes over the past five years, six in 10 Irish farmers say their farm income has declined in the past five years. One in four say farm income has declined by over 20% in this period, according to the Opinions research.
When examining changes in farm incomes over the past 12 months, the decline is more pronounced.
Seven in 10 farmers claim that their farm income has decreased in the past 12 months (with a third claiming that it has decreased by over 20% in this period).
When we look at this by sector across enterprises, those involved in a dairy or tillage enterprise are most likely to have witnessed a decline in farm income in the past 12 months.
Three in four dairy and tillage farmers say their farm income has decreased in the past 12 months, with about four in 10 saying it has decreased by over 20% in this period.
Lack of engagement with farmers
Meanwhile, the survey also reveals that lack of farmer engagement is a key issue for farmers with over nine in 10 farmers (96%) agreeing that farmers should be consulted more in the development of agricultural policy.
Among the challenges facing the sector, eight in 10 say that they are concerned about ‘lack of farmer consultation in policy and decision making’.
Over three in four (77%) claim that they are concerned by ‘constant changes in policy that affects me and my farm’ (highest among dairy – 83%), with a similar proportion concerned by ‘lack of political representation for farmers’.
It comes as the survey reveals that almost nine in 10 survey respondents agree that the Irish government is ‘out of touch with the real challenges faced by the farming community today’.
Half of the farmer respondents said that Ireland needs a new political party specifically for rural farming communities.
The final results of the survey, collated today (Tuesday, September 17) find that if there were a general election tomorrow, Fine Gael is the party which would receive the majority (27%) of first preference votes. This figure increases to 33% when those who declared they will not vote or ‘don’t know who they will vote for’ are removed.
Meanwhile, independent candidates received 14% of the vote from survey respondents, but this increases to 19% when the ‘will not vote’ or ‘undecided’ are removed.
Independent Ireland follows next with 14%, followed by Fianna Fáil which was given 14% of the vote but this decreases to 13% when ‘undecided’ and ‘will not vote’ respondents are removed.
Sinn Féin seems to have low support from farmers who participated in the survey with just 3% first preference and Aontú hovers at 2%.
The majority of farmers agree that ‘rural Ireland is not receiving adequate investment in critical infrastructure such as transport links and broadband’.
Over six in 10 farmers agree that the number of IPAS (asylum seekers and refugees) being located to a rural community and village should be proportionate to the existing population’.