The number of people working in agriculture, fisheries and forestry has decreased to 109,800, according to the latest CSO figures. The figure is down from 110,500 employed in the first quarter of 2014, and is down on the number (116,800) employed in the sector in the last quarter of 2013.

However, it still remains on a growth trajectory. The figures show that in the second quarter of 2012 the number of people employed in the sector stood at 87,100. This rose to 116,800 for the fourth quarter of 2014 and had been on the rise late 2012.

The number of women working in the sector has increased over the past three months to 13,500, but it comes on the back of a fall off from 14,800 for the last three months of 2013.

Meanwhile, the number of women working in agriculture has risen in Northern Ireland. Figures from the Census of Employment show that the number of women working full time in agriculture over the past four years rose from around 500 to more than 1,300.

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