The Department of Agriculture has released figures showing the full breakdown of the 4,200 loans secured by farmers at the reduced rate of 2.95% under last year's Agriculture Cashflow Support Loan Scheme.

As previously reported by the Irish Farmers Journal based on figures up to September 2017, dairy farms applied for the largest portion of the funds available. This is even more pronounced in the full figures, with €65m or 45% of the scheme going to dairy farmers.

Beef farmers borrowed €57m, tillage farmers €9m, sheep farmers €3m, pig farmers €2m and horticulture farmers €1m. The remaining €7m went to other enterprises, bringing the total amount lent to €145m.

On Saturday, IFA president Joe Healy again called for the immediate roll-out of a similar scheme promised for this year in the last budget.

Agriculture is Ireland’s most important indigenous industry, with the agri-food sector continuing to play a vital role in Ireland’s economy

The Department's Annual Review and Outlook for Agriculture to be published this week will also include figures on its importance to the national economy. "Agriculture is Ireland’s most important indigenous industry, with the agri-food sector continuing to play a vital role in Ireland’s economy, with a turnover of €26bn, contributing 7.8% of gross national income and generating over 11% of total exports in 2017. Employing over 174,000 people, the sector makes a significant contribution to employment, particularly in rural and coastal areas," said Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed.

The share of agriculture in Ireland's exports increased from 10.3% in the previous year, and the number of people employed in the industry rose by 1,000 in 2017.

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