NEARLY TWO-FIFTHS of farm holders are over the age of 65, with under-35s making up only a small proportion of the sector.

The average age of farm holders is 59.4. Over 50,000 of Ireland’s farm holders (37.8%) are aged 65 or over, whereas only 6,000 (4.3%) are under 35.

That’s according to new data released by the Central Statistics Office about farms and farmers in Ireland as of 2023.

“The Farm Structure Survey provides a comprehensive snapshot of the agricultural activity on Irish farms in 2023,” said Sophie Emerson, statistician in the CSO’s agriculture division.

“The results provide detail on farm structure, farm holder demographics, livestock, land utilisation, organic farming, the agriculture labour force, standard output, farm machinery and soil management.”

There is still a large gender gap among farmers, the CSO data shows.

87% of farm holders in 2023 were men while only 13% were women. Of 299,725 farm workers, 66% were men while 34% were women. 

In total, there were 133,174 farms recorded in 2023. The average size was 34.7 hectares.

The number of cattle in Ireland has risen to 7.3 million, representing a 6.4% increase from 2013 to 2023. However, the number of farms with cattle actually fell by 7.9% over the same period, which means the rise in cattle numbers is due to other farms increasing their herds.

The average herd size increased from 62 animals to 72 animals (a 16.1% jump) since 2013. The average herd size for dairy cows in particular has increased significantly from 64 animals to 98 animals (a 53.1% increase).

Sheep, pig and poultry numbers have also increased.

The rising herd numbers could pose a challenge for the agriculture sector meeting its climate action targets.

Agriculture was directly responsible for 37% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2023, mainly through methane from livestock and nitrous oxide from fertilisers and manure management.

Organic farming, which is usually good for the environment, is on the rise; in 2023, there were 4,168 organic farms, a significant increase compared with 2020 when there were only 1,686.  

However, only 5% of farms reported having a renewable energy source present on the farm.