Regional Accounts for Agriculture 2022

The Border region (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, and Sligo) is characterised by having the second highest dependency on Livestock, which generated 51% of the region’s Agricultural Output at Basic Prices. It had the highest dependency on Pigs and Poultry, which each accounted for 10% of the value of the region’s agricultural output. It produced 71% of the country’s Poultry and 25% of both its Sheep and Pigs. It was also one of the smaller Milk and Crop producing regions, generating just 7% and 9% respectively of these outputs. Just 2% of the State’s Cereal production occurred in the Border region.

The region saw growth of 22% in the value of its Agricultural Output at Basic Prices, the second lowest of all regions, bringing its value to €1.5bn. Due to the profile of its agriculture, it did not benefit as much as most other regions from the large increases in Cereal and Milk prices. The value of its Cattle production increased by 16% (+€49m) to €365m, while the value of its Pigs grew by 11% (+€15m) to €157m. Sheep producers saw their outputs increase by just 3% to €93m while the value of Poultry production grew by 9% to €144m.

The region’s Intermediate Consumption costs rose by 26% (+€224m) to €1.1bn, a rate below the national average of 29%. Despite it producing just under 12% of the country’s Agricultural Output at Basic Prices, with its high dependency on livestock, particularly its concentration of intensive poultry and pig farms, it was the second largest consumer of Feeding Stuffs, using 20% (€472m) of the national total. Fertiliser costs grew by 69% (+€45m) to €109m, while the cost of Energy & Lubricants was up by 33% (+€20m) to €78m. The region’s Operating Surplus increased by 18% (+€72m) to €480m (See Tables 1.2, 1.3 and 2.1).

Border Region Agricultural Output

Figure 2.1 shows the composition of Agricultural Output for the Border Region (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo) in 2022.