Written answers
Tuesday, 27 June 2006
Department of Agriculture and Food
Farm Household Statistics
11:00 pm
Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 372: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of full-time farmers in County Tipperary in each year from 1990 to date in 2006; the number of part-time farmers during the same period; her views on the figures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24409/06]
Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The exact information requested by the Deputy is not available. The CSO Farm Structure Survey provides regional estimates and Table 1 and 2 below show figures for the Mid-West and South East regions in June 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2003 (the latest year currently available). The Mid-West region comprises counties Tipperary N.R., Clare, Limerick County and Limerick County Borough. The South East region comprises counties Tipperary S.R., Kilkenny, Wexford, Carlow, Waterford County and Waterford County Borough.
Table 1: Number of farms in the Mid-West region — June 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2003. | |||
Year | Farmwork is sole occupation of farm owner | Farmwork is not sole occupation of farm owner | Total |
1991* | 15,200 | 4,900 | 20,000 |
1993 | 12,900 | 6,000 | 18,900 |
1995 | 12,300 | 6,000 | 18,400 |
1997 | 12,100 | 5,800 | 17,900 |
2000** | 9,500 | 7,200 | 16,700 |
2003 | 9,400 | 6,600 | 16,100 |
* June 1991 Census of Agriculture figure. | |||
** June 2000 Census of Agriculture figure |
Table 2. Number of farms in the South East Region — June 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2003 | |||
Year | Farmwork is sole occupation of farm owner | Farmwork is not sole occupation of farm owner | Total |
1991* | 16,000 | 4,200 | 20,200 |
1993 | 13,900 | 5,500 | 19,400 |
1995 | 13,700 | 5,600 | 19,200 |
1997 | 13,400 | 5,200 | 18,500 |
2000** | 10,500 | 6,400 | 16,900 |
2003 | 10,000 | 5,900 | 15,900 |
* June 1991 Census of Agriculture figure. | |||
** June 2000 Census of Agriculture figure |
Table 3. Number of farms in County Tipperary — June 1991 and 2000 | ||||||
1991 | 2000 | |||||
Farmwork is Sole Occupation | Farmwork is not Sole Occupation | Total | Farmwork is Sole Occupation | Farmwork is not Sole Occupation | Total | |
County Tipperary | 7,400 | 2,000 | 9,400 | 4,700 | 3,100 | 7,800 |
Tipperary N.R. | 3,500 | 900 | 4,400 | 2,300 | 1,600 | 3,800 |
Tipperary S.R. | 3,900 | 1,000 | 4,900 | 2,400 | 1,500 | 3,900 |
The prevalence of part-time farming (Farmwork is not the sole occupation) has increased over the period 1991-2000 from 2,000 to 3,100, an increase of 55% according to the Central Statistics Office Census of Agriculture.
The total number of farmers in Co. Tipperary has decreased at an annual rate of 1.7% per annum from 1991-2000, which is a similar figure to the rest of the country.
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