Billy Timmins
Ceist: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 |