Over three-quarters of the 26,131 farms in Northern Ireland (NI) are currently classified as ‘very small’, the latest statistics released by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) shows.

According to DAERA, these farms “are unlikely to provide full-time employment or an adequate income solely from farming activities”.

They account for nearly half of the farmed area in NI and mainly specialise in beef and sheep, keeping 61% of all sucklers and 52% of all sheep.

Over 35,000 people work on these farms, out of a total agricultural workforce in NI of 52,676.

Definition

Farm business size is calculated on the basis of standard labour requirement (SLR) and it is assumed that one unit of standard labour equates to 1,900 hours of work per year.

Different livestock and crops on a farm are all allocated a SLR coefficient. For example, each dairy cow is allocated 39 hours, while for beef cows 12 hours, other cattle nine hours and for each ewe it is 5.2 hours.

It means that one labour unit corresponds to approximately 50 dairy cows or, if it is a beef farm, roughly 65 suckler cows with all cattle taken through to beef.

A ‘very small’ farm has an SLR of under one, while for ‘small farms’ it is one to two, ‘medium’ sized farms are two to three, and for ‘large’ farms they have a SLR greater than three.

Changes

In 2023, with nearly 80% of NI farms classed as ‘very small’ and a further 10% classed as ‘small’, it leaves just 2,887 farms that are seen as medium-sized and above.

That figure for medium-sized and above is up 6% on the number from 2013, as some farmers have expanded their enterprises, particularly in the likes of dairy and poultry.

However, the number of small farms is down 14% over the period and, rather than expand, most of these farmers have cut back. Between 2013 and 2023, the number of ‘very small’ farms in NI has increased 10%.