Upland farmers are, on average, more economically and financially challenged than other farmers, but also have particular opportunities to diversify into ecological services.
That was one of the key takeaways from the Uplands Symposium, which took place today (Tuesday, November 12) outside Dundalk, Co. Louth.
This symposium was organised jointly by Teagasc and Northern Ireland’s College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), and was attended by upland farmers from both sides of the border, as well as farm organisation representatives from Irish and Northern Irish farm organisations.
After opening remarks from Teagasc director Prof. Frank O’Mara, the keynote address was delivered by Dr. James Moran of Atlantic Technological University (ATU), a lecturer of ecology and biology, who spoke about climate change and environmental challenges, and the role that upland farmers can play.
However, Dr. Moran also highlighted that policy – including the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and government policy towards the powers of local authorities – has to allow for farmers to take actions to provide ecological services.
He also said that this change would not mean that farmers on these types of farms would stop producing food. Instead, he said that shifting policy in this direction should be based on the assumption that those farmers would continue to produce food alongside providing ecological services.
After Dr. Moran, Teagasc economist Dr. Emma Dillon was the next to speak, who spoke in detail on the economic situation that the average upland farmer finds themselves in.
Speaking to Agriland, Dr. Dillon summarized the facts and figures she presented to the meeting:
Dr. Dillon told the symposium that, based on Teagasc National Farm Survey data, only around 20% of upland cattle farms are deemed viable, meaning the farm income is sufficient to remunerate family labour at the minimum wage, and also provide 5% return on their non-land assets.
A further 41% of upland cattle farmers are deemed sustainable, meaning that the farm business isn’t viable, but the farm household is sustainable with the presence of an off-farm income.
Therefore, 39% of those farms were deemed vulnerable in 2023, meaning that the farm business is not viable, and there is no off-farm income in the household (not including pension income).
On upland sheep farms, the situation is “more stark”, Dr. Dillon said, with only 15% considered viable in 2023, 45% considered sustainable, and 40% considered vulnerable.
“We cannot but say that the economical sustainability of these farms is highly precarious, because of its low average family farm income…and there is high dependency on direct payments,” Dr. Dillon told the meeting.
“The part time nature of farming can be a buffer, but we know that sustainability is challenged by low productivity and high cost, and this is particularly evident in the last number of years, where payment was not there to sustain those high costs, indeed the persistent nature of those,” she added.
However, the Teagasc economist indicated that those farmers are the ones most primed to benefit from ecological and environmental programmes that use the potential of those farms in contributing to the environment, biodiversity and preservation of habitats.
After Dr. Dillon, the symposium heard from Prof. Barry Quinn from Ulster University on a project to bring about behavioural change among hill and upland farmers; as well as Teagasc advisor Catriona Foley, who spoke about the Teagasc Comeragh Hill Sheep Discussion Group, based in Co. Waterford.
Later in the day, the conference heard from Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine official John Muldowney, on how upland farmers can benefit from the Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring personnel from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Teagasc, CAFRE, the Local Authority Water Programme (LAWPRO), as well as two farmers.
The panel discussed how to achieve various objectives for upland farms, including environmental and ecological protection, and farming activity.