Brendan Smith
Question:40 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position regarding farm income since 1990; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11174/03]
Written Answers. - Farm Incomes.
Looking at trends over the past decade, aggregate farm income, operating surplus, increased substantially between 1990 and 1996. There was a decline from 1997 to 1999, mainly due to the effects of the BSE crisis in the UK from 1996 onwards, the collapse of the Russian market in 1998 and weather related difficulties in 1998-99. Following these declines, the farm income situation improved in 2000 and again in 2001. Aggregate farm income, operating surplus, rose by 4.2% in 2001, despite the difficulties caused by foot and mouth disease, following an increase of 8.6% in 2000. In the ten year period from 1991 to 2001, aggregate farm income rose by 36% while family farm income as measured in the Teagasc national farm survey went from €7,686 to €15,840 – a rise in nominal terms of 106%.
The year 2002 was a difficult year for farming. Aggregate farm income fell by 8.9% to €2,381 million. The fall was caused by a combination of bad weather, a drop in beef slaughterings from their high level in 2001 and lower prices for many commodities.