Vol. 490 No. 2
8 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Taoiseach the number of full-time and part-time farmers in 1971, 1991 and 1996; the number of farmers for each of the above years in the age brackets 20-29 years, 30-39 years, 40-49 years, 50-59 years and 59 years plus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9916/98]
The precise information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. The CSO Farm Structure Survey collects data on the farm workforce and relevant data are available since 1980. Farmers are asked to classify whether farmwork is their sole occupation, major occupation or subsidiary occupation.
I propose to circulate two tables in the Official Report. The first table shows the number of full-time and part-time farmers in 1980, 1991 and 1995. The table shows that in 1995 there were 152,909 farmers in the State, 101,145 of which were full-time and 51,763 part-time. In this table, farmers who indicated that farmwork was their sole occupation have been classified as full-time farmers, while those who indicated that farmwork was their major or subsidiary occupation have been treated as part-time farmers. It should also be noted that someone who indicates that farming is the sole occupation may not be fully occupied throughout the year.
The total number of farmers shown in the first table is classified by age group in the second table, although the precise categories requested by the Deputy are not available for the years in question.
Table A: Number of full-time and part-time farmers
|
Year |
Total |
Full-time |
Part-time |
|
1980 |
222,655 |
163,390 |
59,265 |
|
1991 |
169,893 |
124,746 |
45,147 |
|
1995 |
152,909 |
101,145 |
51,763 |
Table B: Age Classification of Farmers
|
Year |
Total |
Under 35 |
35-44 |
45-54 |
55-64 |
65 and over |
|
1980 |
222,655 |
17,079 |
38,873 |
57,797 |
60,909 |
47,997 |
|
1991 |
169,893 |
22,447 |
33,752 |
37,013 |
38,030 |
38,651 |
|
1995 |
152,909 |
20,878 |
29,754 |
34,480 |
35,291 |
32,504 |
(Mayo): Will the Minister give us the decline in farmer numbers?
In 1980, there were 222,655 full-time and part-time farmers and by 1995 the figure had fallen to 152,909. I have some other interesting figures which show the age profile of farmers is changing. There were 17,000 farmers under the age of 35 in 1980, while there are now 20,000 under the age of 35. In round figures, there were over 47,000 farmers over the age of 65 in 1980, while there are now 32,000. The numbers are falling, as is the age profile.
Given the decline from 222,000 to 152,000, does the Minister have any information on the decline in the number of acres being farmed commensurate with that drop?
I do not have that information but I have the Central Statistics Office's survey, which I will give to the Deputy. If the information is not in it, I will arrange to get it for her.
Will the Minister indicate the direction in which the proportion of part-time farmers is going? He said there were about 70,000 part-time farmers. As a proportion of the total, has that increased or decreased over the past ten years or so?
The number of full-time farmers has declined from 163,000 in 1980 to 101,000 in 1995 and the number of part-time farmers has fallen from 59,000 to 51,000.
