Tullamore Farm, the Irish Farmers Journal beef and sheep demonstration farm opens it’s gates today for a national suckler and sheep open day. The event is being supported by Zurich Farm Insurance.
The 200ac farm which is leased for 15 years by the Irish Farmers Journal is home to an 85 cow suckler herd and a 250 ewe mid-season lambing flock. Some of the key messages on the day include very tight margins that suckling and sheep systems are currently working off.
Margins
The farm returned a gross margin of €1,231/ha in 2023, up from a gross margin of €1,040/ha in 2022 and down from a high of €1,381/ha in 2021.
Input costs spiralled in 2022 with a hike in concentrate prices and fertiliser prices dropping margins on the farm. Output prices also rose but didn’t keep track with the rise in input prices.
Further improvement is forecast for 2024 but this will depend on output prices from now until the end of the year.
Pressure
Commenting on the open day Irish Farmers Journal editor Jack Kennedy said farmers margins continue to be under pressure and the reality is the move upwards in input prices has eroded any benefit to the farmer of the 40% price rise in weanlings.
"The sheep flock is also in decline. The reality is that we understand the importance of these sectors to part-time farmers in rural Ireland and are not happy to watch this sector disappear before our eyes.
"We must ensure we use the learning from this farm and others to learn to adapt, use new technology and keep our farms operating as efficient as possible."
The forum “the future of the suckler cow” will be officially opened at 2pm by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue followed by the release of the results of the latest Irish Farmers Journal/KPMG report on the economic impact of CAP changes, nitrates changes and climate change measures on the rural economy.
Follow farmersjournal.ie for live updates from the open day during the day and see more coverage in this week's Irish Farmers Journal.
Read more
Getting farm fit in 15 minutes at Tullamore Farm
Sustainability Focus Tullamore Farm Open day
What’s on when and where at the Tullamore Farm Open Day
Tullamore Farm, the Irish Farmers Journal beef and sheep demonstration farm opens it’s gates today for a national suckler and sheep open day. The event is being supported by Zurich Farm Insurance.
The 200ac farm which is leased for 15 years by the Irish Farmers Journal is home to an 85 cow suckler herd and a 250 ewe mid-season lambing flock. Some of the key messages on the day include very tight margins that suckling and sheep systems are currently working off.
Margins
The farm returned a gross margin of €1,231/ha in 2023, up from a gross margin of €1,040/ha in 2022 and down from a high of €1,381/ha in 2021.
Input costs spiralled in 2022 with a hike in concentrate prices and fertiliser prices dropping margins on the farm. Output prices also rose but didn’t keep track with the rise in input prices.
Further improvement is forecast for 2024 but this will depend on output prices from now until the end of the year.
Pressure
Commenting on the open day Irish Farmers Journal editor Jack Kennedy said farmers margins continue to be under pressure and the reality is the move upwards in input prices has eroded any benefit to the farmer of the 40% price rise in weanlings.
"The sheep flock is also in decline. The reality is that we understand the importance of these sectors to part-time farmers in rural Ireland and are not happy to watch this sector disappear before our eyes.
"We must ensure we use the learning from this farm and others to learn to adapt, use new technology and keep our farms operating as efficient as possible."
The forum “the future of the suckler cow” will be officially opened at 2pm by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue followed by the release of the results of the latest Irish Farmers Journal/KPMG report on the economic impact of CAP changes, nitrates changes and climate change measures on the rural economy.
Follow farmersjournal.ie for live updates from the open day during the day and see more coverage in this week's Irish Farmers Journal.
Read more
Getting farm fit in 15 minutes at Tullamore Farm
Sustainability Focus Tullamore Farm Open day
What’s on when and where at the Tullamore Farm Open Day
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