Billy Timmins
Question:42 Mr. Timmins asked the Taoiseach the number of full and part-time farmers for 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001 and for 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14060/02]
Vol. 553 No. 7
42 Mr. Timmins asked the Taoiseach the number of full and part-time farmers for 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001 and for 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14060/02]
The farm structure survey, which is conducted every two to three years, provides information on the number of farms with more than one hectare of land farmed. A breakdown of the number of full-time and part-time farmers is available from the 1980 survey onwards. In this context, full-time means farmers whose sole occupation is farming; those who answered that farming was either a major or subsidiary occupation are classified as part-time.
The relevant farm structure survey figures, starting with 1980, are set out in the following table.
Estimated number of full-time and part-time farmers
Number of Farmers (000)
Year | Full-Time | Part-Time | Total |
1980 | 163.4 | 60.2 | 223.5 |
1983 | 163.9 | 57.2 | 221.1 |
1985 | 144.7 | 75.5 | 220.2 |
1987 | 135.9 | 81.1 | 217.0 |
1991 | 124.7 | 45.2 | 169.9 |
1993 | 106.0 | 52.9 | 158.9 |
1995 | 101.2 | 51.8 | 153.0 |
1997 | 98.3 | 49.3 | 147.6 |
1999 | 87.5 | 56.2 | 143.7 |