You are here: Home / Statistics / Statistical Yearbook of Ireland 2019 / Appendix 1 - Northern Ireland / Northern Ireland Agriculture

Statistical Yearbook of Ireland 2019

Northern Ireland Agriculture

Number of farms in Northern Ireland, June 2007 - 2018

Table NI29.1 Number of farms in Northern Ireland, June 2008 - 2018
	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Northern Ireland total	25,952	25,264	24,471	24,436	24,285	24,503	24,228	24,907	24,528	24,956	24,895
Source: Agricultural Census, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland

Open in Excel: Statistical Yearbook of Ireland Table NI29.1 (XLS 9KB)

Decrease in the number of farms in Northern Ireland from 2017-2018

Crop areas in Northern Ireland, 2007-2018

Table NI29.2 Crop areas in Northern Ireland, 2008-2018
('000 hectares)
	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Grass
Under 5 yrs old	117.2	120.8	118.4	129.7	133.9	139.2	146.2	149.9	148.2	144.4	144.5
Over 5 yrs old	672.4	669.9	661.6	647.4	646.0	648.8	641.8	650.4	652.6	660.6	663.2

Total grass	789.6	790.7	780.0	777.1	779.8	788.0	788.0	800.3	800.8	805.0	807.6

Hill or rough land	147.1	141.9	140.5	140.9	138.8	140.1	140.1	131.1	137.2	140.4	143.2

Cereals
Oats	2.4	2.1	2.3	2.1	1.9	2.0	2.1	2.1	2.3	2.3	2.0
Wheat	12.1	10.1	10.9	11.6	9.4	8.0	8.5	8.0	8.6	8.7	6.8
Barley (winter)	6.1	5.1	6.8	6.8	5.3	5.3	6.7	7.0	7.6	7.1	5.8
Barley (spring)	19.5	21.6	17.6	17.2	20.2	20.5	16.8	15.7	14.7	14.0	14.9
Mixed corn	0.2	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.1

Total cereals	40.4	39.2	37.8	37.9	37.1	35.9	34.2	32.9	33.4	32.3	29.7

Other field crops
Potatoes	5.1	5.1	4.9	4.8	4.2	4.3	4.2	3.6	3.7	4.1	3.6
Arable crop silage	3.2	3.5	3.9	3.3	3.7	4.1	4.0	3.3	3.3	3.6	4.3
Forage maize	3.5	3.3	2.9	2.5	1.9	1.6	1.6	1.5	1.3	1.3	1.6
SRC Willow	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.7
Other crops¹	2.7	3.1	2.7	2.4	2.7	2.1	2.2	2.4	2.1	2.3	2.3

Total other field crops	15.0	15.5	14.9	13.5	13.0	12.6	12.5	11.3	11.0	12.0	12.4

Horticultural crops
Fruit	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5
Vegetables	1.4	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.4	1.3	1.4	1.2	1.3	1.1
Ornamentals	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2

Total horticultural crops	3.0	3.0	2.9	3.0	2.9	3.0	3.0	3.1	2.9	3.0	2.8

Total crops	58.3	57.7	55.6	54.4	53.0	51.6	49.8	47.3	47.4	47.2	44.9

Total crops & grass	848.0	848.4	835.5	831.5	832.8	839.6	837.8	847.7	848.2	852.2	852.6

Other land
Set-aside	1.2	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Woods and plantations	9.9	10.3	10.2	10.8	11.0	10.3	11.1	11.1	16.1	15.8	16.3
Other land²	11.3	6.9	7.8	8.2	8.3	8.0	7.8	7.9	11.8	11.4	10.4
Total other land	22.3	17.6	18.0	19.0	19.3	18.3	18.9	18.9	27.9	27.2	26.7

Total area farmed	1,017.4	1,008.0	994.0	991.4	991.0	998.0	996.8	997.7	1013.2	1019.7	1022.4
¹Other Crops - Oilseed rape, Turnip/beet, Kale/Cabbage, other stockfeed crops, Triticale, Linseed, Flax.
²Other land - fallow land, roads, buildings, bogs, wasteland, gardens etc.
Source: Agricultural Census, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland

Open in Excel: Statistical Yearbook of Ireland 2019 Table NI29.2 (XLS 15KB)

Livestock numbers, June 2007 - 2018

Table NI29.3 Livestock numbers, June 2008 - 2018
Thousand head
	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Cattle¹
Dairy cows	289.2	284.7	281.0	282.5	285.4	279.5	294.2	311.5	317.1	315.8	310.7
Dairy heifers in calf	64.3	62.5	61.9	62.3	65.4	67.1	62.1	60.8	58.8	60.1	59.0

Beef cows	265.7	256.8	257.6	269.5	279.2	270.1	254.9	260.3	269.7	267.1	255.9
Beef heifers in calf	39.7	37.6	38.4	42.1	40.9	37.4	31.9	31.7	31.1	30.4	29.7

Total cows	554.9	541.5	538.7	552.0	564.6	549.6	549.1	571.8	586.9	582.9	566.6

Total heifers in calf	104.0	100.1	100.3	104.4	106.3	104.5	93.9	92.5	90.0	90.5	88.7

Bulls for service	19.6	18.6	18.4	18.7	19.0	18.8	18.1	17.7	17.4	17.2	16.9

Other cattle
Over 2 years	151.5	132.0	133.6	123.7	117.2	113.3	132.6	121.1	101.7	106.2	117.7
1-2 years	333.5	348.6	354.2	338.7	334.5	345.2	331.8	328.3	358.1	378.7	364.4
Under 1 year	459.0	458.4	459.1	452.9	483.9	456.3	441.8	477.4	510.5	491.0	474.8

Total cattle	1,622.5	1,599.0	1,604.4	1,590.5	1,625.4	1,587.8	1,567.3	1,608.9	1,664.6	1,666.4	1,629.1

Sheep
Breeding ewes	935.4	892.4	875.9	895.2	937.5	921.4	910.6	938.6	955.2	973.3	956.5
Other sheep	1,038.2	1,004.3	971.8	992.4	1,031.4	982.1	1,012.3	1,051.0	1,067.8	1,079.2	1,049.5

Total sheep	1,973.6	1,896.7	1,847.7	1,887.6	1,968.9	1,903.5	1,922.9	1,989.7	2,023.0	2,052.6	2,006.0

Pigs²
Sows and gilts	35.5	38.2	38.5	38.0	38.3	42.5	42.8	45.6	46.4	47.9	49.6
Other pigs	366.9	395.4	386.1	387.2	388.6	437.8	474.2	524.1	554.7	601.2	584.0

Total pigs	402.4	433.5	424.6	425.3	426.9	480.3	517.1	569.7	601.1	649.1	633.6

Poultry³
Laying birds	2,398.5	2,315.7	2,099.4	2,429.7	2,556.7	2,438.4	3,044.6	3,174.1	3,550.0	3,962.8	4,331.9
Growing pullets	1,174.3	999.1	1,017.3	1,109.2	1,089.2	909.3	916.3	908.0	961.9	1,202.0	1,121.3
Breeding flock	1,205.2	1,573.2	1,078.2	1,528.0	1,641.1	2,150.6	2,413.7	2,404.9	2,282.7	2,526.9	2,515.9
Table chickens	11,543.5	11,418.3	11,915.1	14,069.4	13,459.4	13,412.0	13,614.2	14,273.1	14,459.2	16,766.6	17,663.0

Total ordinary fowl	16,321.4	16,306.3	16,109.9	19,136.3	18,746.4	18,910.4	19,988.8	20,760.1	21,253.8	24,458.3	25,632.1

Other poultry	809.4	556.4	421.2	486.2	441.7	463.5	412.4	485.6	530.0	452.3	398.5

Total poultry	17,130.9	16,862.7	16,531.1	19,622.5	19,188.2	19,373.8	20,401.1	21,245.7	21,783.8	24,910.6	26,030.6

Horses & Ponies⁴	11.8	12.2	12.5	12.0	12.0	11.7	11.1	11.0	10.3	9.6	9.0

Goats	2.8	2.7	2.9	3.1	3.1	3.2	3.2	3.8	3.8	4.2	3.8
¹From 2005 onwards, cattle figures sourced from APHIS
²From 2013 onwards, pig figures sourced from the Northern Ireland Annual Inventory of Pigs
³From 2007 onwards, poultry figures sourced from the Northern Ireland Bird Register Update
⁴Horses and ponies on agricultural holdings.
Source: Statistical Review of Northern Ireland Agriculture 2016, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland

Open in Excel: Statistical Yearbook of Ireland 2019 Table NI29.3 (XLS 15KB)

1.6 Million

Total cattle number for Northern Ireland in 2018

Average producer prices of agricultural products, 2013 - 2018

Table NI29.4 Average producer prices¹ of agricultural products, 2013 - 2018
£ per unit
	Unit	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
							(provisional)
Finished steers, heifers and young bulls	head	1,157	1,086	1,106	1,082	1,162	1,174
Finished steers, heifers and young bulls	kg dwt	3.55	3.29	3.26	3.19	3.48	3.49
Calves slaughtered or exported	head	247	297	308	305	303	314
Culled cows and bulls	head	785	681	666	670	747	768
Culled cows and bulls	kg dwt	2.57	2.18	2.14	2.16	2.47	2.51
Store cattle exported	head	762	770	795	749	801	806
Finished sheep and lambs	head	82.39	83.08	73.89	83.00	86.12	92.13
Finished sheep and lambs	kg dwt	3.87	3.81	3.40	3.88	3.99	4.26
Finished clean pigs	head	130.72	125.00	102.41	102.27	134.79	129.73
Finished clean pigs	kg dwt	1.56	1.46	1.19	1.18	1.52	1.42
Milk²	litre	0.318	0.297	0.212	0.206	0.290	0.290
Eggs for consumption	dozen	0.734	0.721	0.751	0.751	0.730	0.701
Broilers	kg lwt	0.860	0.812	0.750	0.713	0.753	0.757
Potatoes:
Ware maincrop³	tonne	196	125	129	153	147	168
Seed	tonne	218	167	153	171	173	166
Barley	tonne	179	146	130	134	154	186
Wheat	tonne	195	156	136	137	161	182
Oats	tonne	193	162	153	149	158	190
Mushrooms	tonne	1,450	1,484	1,496	1,496	1,496	1,496
Apples	tonne	267	259	271	258	263	203
¹Before deduction of marketing charges, commissions and levies, where applicable.
²Before deduction of superlevy, if applicable.
³Does not include early potatoes. Therefore, the price differs from that quoted in Table 2.24.
Source: Statistical Review of Northern Ireland Agriculture 2018, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland

Open in Excel: Statistical Yearbook of Ireland 2019 Table NI29.4 (XLS 12KB)

Aggregate Agricultural Account: estimated output, input, value added and income of agriculture, 2013 - 2018

Open in Excel:

Table NI29.5 Aggregate Agricultural Account: estimated output, input, value added and income of agriculture 2013 - 2018

Table NI29.5 Aggregate Agricultural Account: estimated output, input, value added and income of agriculture¹ 2013 - 2018
£million
		2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
(provisional)
	Output²
	Livestock and livestock products³
	Finished cattle and calves⁴	442.4	392.0	402.3	432.9	464.4	467.3
	Finished sheep and lambs⁴	66.7	69.4	63.2	75.0	72.3	78.3
	Finished pigs	132.3	133.2	114.1	121.1	166.3	158.8
	Poultry⁵	265.0	257.2	247.9	252.7	267.2	280.8
	Eggs⁶	67.4	79.6	88.6	94.8	104.0	107.1
	Milk	640.5	654.2	480.1	453.3	663.0	679.9
	Minor products⁷	15.0	15.0	15.3	14.3	13.5	13.2
	Total livestock and livestock products	1,629.3	1,600.6	1,411.6	1,444.1	1,750.6	1,785.2

	Field crops
	Potatoes	26.5	18.8	17.1	20.2	22.7	20.6
	Cereals	38.3	31.6	28.9	26.7	30.4	32.4
	of which: barley	25.0	19.8	18.3	16.7	17.6	21.8
	wheat	11.4	9.9	8.7	8.2	10.8	8.7
	oats	1.9	1.9	1.9	1.8	2.0	1.9
	Other crops⁸	14.9	12.4	12.4	10.5	11.4	13.2
	Total field crops	79.7	62.7	58.3	57.5	64.5	66.2

	Horticultural products
	Fruit	9.8	11.4	11.8	15.3	16.8	14.7
	Vegetables	20.5	22.2	21.5	19.1	18.3	17.4
	Mushrooms	40.6	54.6	67.5	53.5	53.1	51.0
	Ornamental and hardy nursery stock	12.0	14.3	18.9	20.9	25.3	24.2
	Total horticultural products	82.8	102.5	119.6	108.8	113.5	107.4

	Capital formation (breeding livestock)	72.4	59.2	74.5	90.0	81.7	79.2

	Agricultural contract work⁹	77.7	79.6	73.7	74.5	79.5	82.3

	Milk quota leasing	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

	Inseparable non-agricultural activities¹⁰	17.5	17.6	17.4	13.4	13.5	13.6

A	Gross output	1,959.5	1,922.3	1,755.1	1,788.2	2,103.4	2,133.9

	Input (also known as 'intermediate consumption')
	Expenditure
	Feedstuffs¹¹	796.9	773.5	727.9	707.0	770.8	867.5
	Seeds¹²	12.2	11.1	10.6	10.1	10.9	11.1
	Marketing expenses¹³	36.0	35.5	36.5	38.4	38.3	37.8
	Fertilisers and lime	101.8	82.5	74.1	70.7	84.2	84.7
	Total machinery expenses (excl. depreciation)	153.9	152.2	139.2	135.7	148.0	156.0
	Farm maintenance	43.5	44.4	42.5	40.6	48.3	49.5
	Veterinary expenses and medicines	57.5	60.1	61.1	62.2	66.3	64.6
	Other variable costs¹⁴	107.2	119.4	125.0	117.8	126.7	129.5
	Miscellaneous expenses¹⁵	78.4	81.4	81.4	80.8	85.3	88.7
	Agricultural contract work	77.7	79.6	73.7	74.5	79.5	82.3
	Milk quota leasing	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
	FISIM¹⁶	9.2	7.2	6.9	7.4	8.8	8.9
B	Gross input	1,474.3	1,447.0	1,378.9	1,345.3	1,467.1	1,580.7

C	Gross value added (A-B)	485.2	475.3	376.1	442.9	636.2	553.2

	Consumption of fixed capital (depreciation)
	- livestock	65.0	64.8	62.8	83.6	71.8	72.3
	- plant, machinery and vehicles	122.3	124.2	124.4	126.9	130.7	138.3
	- buildings and works	118.4	116.8	114.3	113.4	113.3	112.9
D	Total consumption of fixed capital	305.7	305.8	301.5	324.0	315.8	323.4

	Other subsidies (not paid on products)¹⁷	314.3	292.5	284.7	306.0	313.7	300.8
	Other taxes (not levied on products)¹⁸	8.1	8.2	8.3	8.6	8.7	9.0

E	Other subsidies (less taxes)	306.2	284.3	276.4	297.4	304.9	291.8

F	Net value added (at factor cost) (C-D+E)	485.7	453.8	351.1	416.3	625.4	521.6

G	Paid labour	63.5	65.2	68.8	68.2	74.7	77.4
H	Interest	30.7	31.3	32.0	32.0	28.4	28.4
I	Net rent¹⁹	48.4	51.3	51.7	54.4	54.8	56.3

J	Total income from farming²⁰ (F-G-H-I)	343.1	306.1	198.5	261.8	467.4	359.6
¹A description of the methodology relating to this series and the derivation of the main aggregates, is given in the Appendix.
²2. Output represents the estimated value of home-produced sales, including the value of inter-farm transfers and on-farm use (see Appendix). It includes the value of subsidies on products, the sale value of store animals imported from the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain and finished in Northern Ireland and the value of produce used in farm households. Stock change estimates are included within the individual output and input items.
³Includes finished, breeding and store animals exported to the Republic of Ireland and shipped to Great Britain. The value of imported animals has been deducted.
⁴The LFA Compensatory Allowance (or Areas of Natural Constraint payment from 2015) is included in 'other subsidies'.
⁵Includes shipments and exports of breeding and non-breeding birds, and eggs for hatching.
⁶Includes eggs for processing and duck eggs.
⁷Includes horses, wool, deer and minor livestock products.
⁸Hay, straw, flax, linseed, oilseed rape, mixed corn, protein crops, lawn turf, triticale, hemp and forage crops.
⁹Receipts to both farmer contractors and specialist contractors.
¹⁰Receipts from non-agricultural activities which use farm resources.
¹¹Includes home-fed cereals, proteins, forage crops, hay and stockfeed potatoes. The figure for 2013 includes additional cost of fodder imported under the fodder transport scheme.
¹²Includes home-saved seed.
¹³Hired transport charges, auction fees, slaughter charges and inter farm expenses.
¹⁴Livestock costs other than veterinary and medicines, crop protection, other crop costs, packaging and royalties and levies.
¹⁵Electricity, heating fuel, water rates, fire insurance and other overheads.
¹⁶FISIM - Financial Intermediation Services Indirectly Measured. A description is provided on page 25.
¹⁷Includes Single Farm Payment (for the years 2011-2014), Basic, Greening and Young Farmer's Payments (from 2015), LFA Compensatory Allowance (or Areas of Natural Constraint payment from 2015), payments for the non-capital element of the Environmentally Sensitive Area Scheme, Countryside Management Scheme and other minor grants and subsidies. See table 2.10 for a breakdown of this item.
¹⁸Farm rates and vehicle road tax.
¹⁹Conacre payments to non-producing landowners.
²⁰This estimate should be regarded only as an indicator of trend. The income estimate, being a residual, is subject to cumulative errors in the estimation of input and output items (see Appendix NISRA website).
Source: Statistical Review of Northern Ireland Agriculture 2018, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland

Open in Excel: Statistical Yearbook of Ireland 2019 Table NI29.5 (XLS 20KB)

Indices of producer prices of agricultural output, 2013 - 2018

Table NI29.6 Indices of producer prices¹ of agricultural output, 2013 - 2018
Indices: 2015 = 100
	Weights²	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
(provisional)
Finished steers and heifers	216	109	101	100	98	107	107
Culled cows and bulls	41	120	102	100	101	116	117
Store cattle exported	6	96	97	100	94	101	101
Finished sheep and lambs	37	114	112	100	114	117	125
Finished clean pigs	75	131	123	100	100	128	120
Milk	303	150	140	100	97	137	137
Eggs for consumption	56	98	96	100	100	97	93
Broilers	120	115	108	100	95	100	101
Potatoes:
Ware maincrop	12	152	97	100	119	114	131
Seed	1	143	109	100	112	113	109
Barley	12	137	112	100	102	118	142
Wheat	6	144	115	100	101	118	134
Mushrooms	43	97	99	100	100	100	100
Apples	7	99	96	100	95	97	75

Total products index²	935	125	117	100	99	118	118
Inputs index³	1,000	110	106	100	98	98	105
¹The indices relate to prices from which marketing expenses have not been deducted.
²The total products index is calculated by taking into account the significance of each item in the base period (2015). This is shown in the column of weights. Since only the main items of output are included, the total of their weights does not add to 1,000. Also, since the price index does not cover items such as production grants, compensation payments and gross fixed capital formation, it should not be regarded as a 'deflator' to be used in estimating the volume of output. (A volume series of gross output is given in Table 2.3).
³This index does not cover all inputs. It comprises feedstuffs, seeds, fertilisers and lime and marketing expenses.
Source: Statistical Review of Northern Ireland Agriculture 2018, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland

Open in Excel: Statistical Yearbook of Ireland 2019 Table NI29.6 (XLS 12KB)

Go to next Appendix >>> Appendix 2 Methodology

Return to >>> Northern Ireland Overview

Return to >>> Yearbook Overview

Why you can Trust the CSO

Learn about our data and confidentiality safeguards, and the steps we take to produce statistics that can be trusted by all.

go to trust & transparency

Statistical Yearbook of Ireland 2019

Northern Ireland Agriculture

Number of farms in Northern Ireland, June 2007 - 2018

Crop areas in Northern Ireland, 2007-2018

Livestock numbers, June 2007 - 2018

Average producer prices of agricultural products, 2013 - 2018

Aggregate Agricultural Account: estimated output, input, value added and income of agriculture, 2013 - 2018

Indices of producer prices of agricultural output, 2013 - 2018

Contents

Why you can Trust the CSO

Contact:

Links:

Careers

Follow: