Teagasc is keen to develop a new dedicated upland hill research farm to "increase its research capacity".

There are currently an estimated 16,000 hill farming households in the country and most of these are involved in hill sheep production.

These farming enterprises produce in the region of one-third of the country's breeding ewes with many also operating a suckler cattle system.

The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has previously called on Teagasc and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to commit to dedicated, long-term research into farming in uplands and Natura areas.

INHFA has argued that "by investing in dedicated upland research, they can help build farming systems that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially sustainable".

Teagasc is now understood to be "exploring the possibility of establishing a dedicated upland hill research farm".

Upland hill farming

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, has indicated that he is generally supportive of Teagasc's interest in developing a upland hill research farm.

The minister has said this would not only support national and EU policy objectives but also complement the authority's "current research and knowledge transfer activities to improve the economic sustainability and environmental footprint of the Irish sheep sector".

He has also said any new upland hill research farm would "complement Teagasc’s existing sheep research programme based in the Teagasc Athenry research centre".

Currently the Teagasc BETTER Farm Sheep Programme is being implemented on hill sheep farms, in Donegal, Galway, Sligo and Wicklow. 

Sheep farm incomes

According to the latest Teagasc National Farm Survey average income rose by 7% on sheep farms last year.

But this is in comparison to a very significant jump across the board in average farm incomes in 2025.

According to Teagasc economists the average income on dairy farms was up 41% in 2025 to an average of €153,300, while there was a significant rise - 74% - in incomes on cattle rearing farms to  €24,100 and cattle other farms incomes rose by 81% to €32,800.