Suckler farming provides the equivalent of 3,700 full-time jobs in Co Mayo, according to UCD’s professor of agriculture and food economics Michael Wallace.
He has highlighted the total contribution of the suckler industry to the counties most reliant on the industry, such as Mayo.
Wallace has also warned that if the decline of the industry continues at the current rate, one in every five of Ireland’s suckler farms and 142,000 suckler cows could be lost from the industry by 2028.
Mayo
The suckler herd in Co Mayo was made up of 71,000 cows in 2017, representing the second-largest suckler population in the country.
Cow numbers had fallen by 7% since 2010, but sucklers still accounted for 82% of the overall cow population in the county.
Some 6,500 farms kept sucklers in Mayo, a decline of 13% on 2010, while the number of full-time jobs reliant on suckler farming sat at 3,700.
Without including direct payments, the professor estimated farm output from suckler beef to be worth roughly €95m.
Meanwhile, the total economic contribution came to €135m in GDP and €200m in outputs.
National importance
Professor Wallace has warned that the loss of the suckler industry would be a significant blow to Irish agriculture.
Sucklers generated over €2.9bn in beef output and providing 52,000 jobs directly to the economy in 2017, when indirect outputs are included.
Read more
Suckler herd worth €2.9bn and 52,000 jobs - UCD
Brussels wants suckler herd reduction in exchange for €100m beef fund
Should farmers be paid to reduce suckler numbers?
Suckler farming provides the equivalent of 3,700 full-time jobs in Co Mayo, according to UCD’s professor of agriculture and food economics Michael Wallace.
He has highlighted the total contribution of the suckler industry to the counties most reliant on the industry, such as Mayo.
Wallace has also warned that if the decline of the industry continues at the current rate, one in every five of Ireland’s suckler farms and 142,000 suckler cows could be lost from the industry by 2028.
Mayo
The suckler herd in Co Mayo was made up of 71,000 cows in 2017, representing the second-largest suckler population in the country.
Cow numbers had fallen by 7% since 2010, but sucklers still accounted for 82% of the overall cow population in the county.
Some 6,500 farms kept sucklers in Mayo, a decline of 13% on 2010, while the number of full-time jobs reliant on suckler farming sat at 3,700.
Without including direct payments, the professor estimated farm output from suckler beef to be worth roughly €95m.
Meanwhile, the total economic contribution came to €135m in GDP and €200m in outputs.
National importance
Professor Wallace has warned that the loss of the suckler industry would be a significant blow to Irish agriculture.
Sucklers generated over €2.9bn in beef output and providing 52,000 jobs directly to the economy in 2017, when indirect outputs are included.
Read more
Suckler herd worth €2.9bn and 52,000 jobs - UCD
Brussels wants suckler herd reduction in exchange for €100m beef fund
Should farmers be paid to reduce suckler numbers?
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