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Statistical Yearbook of Ireland 2017

Northern Ireland Agriculture

Crop areas in Northern Ireland, 2007-2016

NI22.1 Crop areas in Northern Ireland, 2007-2016

('000 hectares)
	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016

Grass
Under 5 yrs old	122.1	117.2	120.8	118.4	129.7	133.9	139.2	146.2	149.9	148.2
Over 5 yrs old	671.9	672.4	669.9	661.6	647.4	646.0	648.8	641.8	650.4	652.6

Total grass	794.0	789.6	790.7	780.0	777.1	779.8	788.0	788.0	800.3	800.8

Hill or rough land	146.5	147.1	141.9	140.5	140.9	138.8	140.1	140.1	131.1	137.2

Cereals
Oats	2.0	2.4	2.1	2.3	2.1	1.9	2.0	2.1	2.1	2.3
Wheat	9.2	12.1	10.1	10.9	11.6	9.4	8.0	8.5	8.0	8.6
Barley (winter)	4.7	6.1	5.1	6.8	6.8	5.3	5.3	6.7	7.0	7.6
Barley (spring)	18.1	19.5	21.6	17.6	17.2	20.2	20.5	16.8	15.7	14.7
Mixed corn	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.2	0.2

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

Other field crops
Potatoes	4.8	5.1	5.1	4.9	4.8	4.2	4.3	4.2	3.6	3.7
Arable crop silage	3.3	3.2	3.5	3.9	3.3	3.7	4.1	4.0	3.3	3.3
Forage maize	3.1	3.5	3.3	2.9	2.5	1.9	1.6	1.6	1.5	1.3
SRC Willow	0.3	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.6
Other crops ¹	2.5	2.7	3.1	2.7	2.4	2.7	2.1	2.2	2.4	2.1

Total other field crops	14.0	15.0	15.5	14.9	13.5	13.0	12.6	12.5	11.3	11.0

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

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

Total crops	51.2	58.3	57.7	55.6	54.4	53.0	51.6	49.8	47.3	47.4

Total crops & grass	845.2	848.0	848.4	835.5	831.5	832.8	839.6	837.8	847.7	848.2

Other land
Set-aside	2.0	1.2	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Woods and plantations	9.9	9.9	10.3	10.2	10.8	11.0	10.3	11.1	11.1	16.1
Other land ²	10.9	11.3	6.9	7.8	8.2	8.3	8.0	7.8	7.9	11.8
Total other land	22.8	22.3	17.6	18.0	19.0	19.3	18.3	18.9	18.9	27.9

TOTAL AREA FARMED	1,014.5	1,017.4	1,008.0	994.0	991.4	991.0	998.0	996.8	997.7	1013.2
1. Other Crops - Oilseed rape, Turnip/beet, Kale/Cabbage, other stockfeed crops, Triticale, Linseed, Flax.
2. Other land - fallow land, roads, buildings, bogs, wasteland, gardens etc.
Source: Agricultural Census, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland

Open in Excel: NI22.1 Crop areas in Northern Ireland, 2007-2016 (XLS 13KB)

Livestock numbers, June 2007 - 2016

NI22.2 Livestock numbers, June 2007 - 2016

thousand head
	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016

CATTLE¹
Dairy cows	286.1	289.2	284.7	281.0	282.5	285.4	279.5	294.2	311.5	317.1
Dairy heifers in calf	67.8	64.3	62.5	61.9	62.3	65.4	67.1	62.1	60.8	58.8

Beef cows	272.6	265.7	256.8	257.6	269.5	279.2	270.1	254.9	260.3	269.7
Beef heifers in calf	36.7	39.7	37.6	38.4	42.1	40.9	37.4	31.9	31.7	31.1

Total cows	558.7	554.9	541.5	538.7	552.0	564.6	549.6	549.1	571.8	586.9

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

Bulls for service	17.6	19.6	18.6	18.4	18.7	19.0	18.8	18.1	17.7	17.4

Other cattle
Over 2 years	160.8	151.5	132.0	133.6	123.7	117.2	113.3	132.6	121.1	101.7
1-2 years	362.7	333.5	348.6	354.2	338.7	334.5	345.2	331.8	328.3	358.1
Under 1 year	439.2	459.0	458.4	459.1	452.9	483.9	456.3	441.8	477.4	510.5

Total cattle	1,643.5	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

SHEEP
Breeding ewes	957.3	935.4	892.4	875.9	895.2	937.5	921.4	910.6	938.6	955.2
Other sheep	1,066.7	1,038.2	1,004.3	971.8	992.4	1,031.4	982.1	1,012.3	1,051.0	1,067.8

Total sheep	2,024.0	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

PIGS²
Sows and gilts	37.0	35.5	38.2	38.5	38.0	38.3	42.5	42.8	45.6	46.4
Other pigs	373.5	366.9	395.4	386.1	387.2	388.6	437.8	474.2	524.1	554.7

Total pigs	410.5	402.4	433.5	424.6	425.3	426.9	480.3	517.1	569.7	601.1

POULTRY³
Laying birds	2,394.0	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
Growing pullets	1,039.8	1,174.3	999.1	1,017.3	1,109.2	1,089.2	909.3	916.3	908.0	961.9
Breeding flock	1,538.0	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
Table chickens	11,861.3	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

Total ordinary fowl	16,833.0	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

Other poultry	451.9	809.4	556.4	421.2	486.2	441.7	463.5	412.4	485.6	530.0

Total poultry	17,284.9	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

HORSES & PONIES⁴	10.8	11.8	12.2	12.5	12.0	12.0	11.7	11.1	11.0	10.3

GOATS	2.5	2.8	2.7	2.9	3.1	3.1	3.2	3.2	3.8	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: NI22.2 Livestock numbers, June 2007 - 2016 (XLS 17KB)

Number of farms in Northern Ireland, June 2007 - 2016

NI22.3 Number of farms in Northern Ireland, June 2007 - 2016

	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Northern Ireland Total	26,146	25,952	25,264	24,471	24,436	24,285	24,503	24,228	24,907	24,528
Source: Agricultural Census, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland

Open in Excel: NI22.3 Number of farms in Northern Ireland, June 2007 - 2016 (XLS 12KB)

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

Open in Excel:

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

NI22.4 Aggregate Agricultural Account: estimated output, input, value added and income of agriculture¹

£ million
		2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
							(provisional)
	OUTPUT²
	Livestock and livestock products³
	Finished cattle and calves⁴	354.6	415.7	442.3	391.9	402.3	424.5
	Finished sheep and lambs⁴	64.3	68.9	66.7	69.4	63.2	72.6
	Finished pigs	106.9	114.5	132.5	133.4	114.8	121.9
	Poultry⁵	242.2	241.6	265.2	257.9	249.1	246.4
	Eggs⁶	56.6	65.6	67.4	79.6	88.6	97.0
	Milk	549.0	525.5	640.5	654.2	480.1	451.9
	Minor products⁷	13.4	12.9	15.0	15.0	15.3	14.5
	Total livestock and livestock products	1,387.1	1,444.8	1,629.7	1,601.5	1,413.5	1,428.7

	Field crops
	Potatoes	23.4	19.0	26.5	18.8	17.1	20.0
	Cereals	44.0	37.8	38.3	31.6	28.9	26.6
	of which: barley	24.7	24.8	25.0	19.8	18.3	16.7
	wheat	17.2	11.2	11.4	9.9	8.7	8.2
	oats	2.2	1.8	1.9	1.9	1.9	1.7
	Other crops⁸	12.6	13.3	14.9	12.4	12.4	10.5
	Total field crops	80.1	70.1	79.7	62.7	58.3	57.1

	Horticultural products
	Fruit	7.4	5.5	9.8	11.4	11.8	10.5
	Vegetables	17.5	15.0	20.5	22.2	21.5	19.0
	Mushrooms	24.7	38.4	40.6	54.6	67.5	53.5
	Ornamental and hardy nursery stock	10.9	9.5	12.0	14.3	18.9	20.9
	Total horticultural products	60.5	68.4	82.8	102.5	119.6	103.8

	Capital formation (breeding livestock)	113.8	89.8	72.4	59.2	74.5	78.0

	Agricultural contract work⁹	69.6	71.4	77.7	79.6	73.6	72.7

	Milk quota leasing	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

	Inseparable non-agricultural activities¹⁰	15.1	15.1	17.5	17.6	17.4	17.4

A	Gross output	1,726.0	1,759.6	1,959.9	1,923.2	1,756.8	1,757.7

	INPUT (also known as 'intermediate consumption')
	Expenditure
	Feedstuffs¹¹	635.1	719.4	796.9	773.5	727.9	716.1
	Seeds¹²	9.7	9.3	12.2	11.1	10.6	10.1
	Marketing expenses¹³	35.4	38.1	36.0	35.5	36.5	38.0
	Fertilisers and lime	79.9	83.0	102.2	82.9	74.5	69.3
	Total machinery expenses (excl. depreciation)	149.9	150.2	153.9	152.2	138.4	129.4
	Farm maintenance	46.5	43.0	43.5	44.4	42.8	42.6
	Veterinary expenses and medicines	55.2	55.6	57.5	60.1	61.6	62.9
	Other variable costs¹⁴	57.8	56.9	63.3	68.0	68.3	68.2
	Miscellaneous expenses¹⁵	112.1	117.4	122.3	132.8	138.5	131.2
	Agricultural contract work	69.6	71.4	77.7	79.6	73.6	72.7
	Milk quota leasing	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
	FISIM¹⁶	8.8	7.4	7.9	8.1	7.0	7.1
B	Gross input	1,260.0	1,351.6	1,473.4	1,448.3	1,379.7	1,347.4

C	Gross value added (A-B)	466.0	408.0	486.4	474.9	377.1	410.3

	Consumption of fixed capital
	- livestock	75.5	70.3	65.0	64.8	62.8	81.7
	- plant, machinery and vehicles	112.3	118.8	122.3	124.3	125.4	128.4
	- buildings and works	117.9	118.6	118.4	117.8	116.3	115.6
D	Total consumption of fixed capital	305.8	307.7	305.7	306.8	304.5	325.7

	Other subsidies (not paid on products)¹⁷	320.5	294.6	314.3	292.5	287.2	318.3
	Other taxes (not levied on products)¹⁸	7.8	8.1	8.1	8.2	8.3	8.4

E	Other subsidies (less taxes)	312.6	286.5	306.2	284.3	278.9	309.9

F	Net value added (at factor cost) (C-D+E)	472.8	386.8	486.9	452.4	351.5	394.5

G	Paid labour	60.2	67.1	63.5	65.2	68.8	65.7
H	Interest	27.9	29.7	32.0	30.4	32.0	32.9
I	Net rent19	48.2	47.8	48.4	51.3	51.7	52.2

J	Total income from farming²⁰ (F-G-H-I)	336.5	242.2	343.1	305.6	199.1	243.7

¹A description of the methodology relating to this series and the derivation of the main aggregates, is given in the Appendix.
²Output 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).
Source: Statistical Review of Northern Ireland Agriculture 2016, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland

Open in Excel: NI22.4 Aggregate Agricultural Account: estimated output, input, value added and income of agriculture (XLS 18KB)

Indices of producer prices of agricultural output

NI22.5 Indices of producer prices¹ of agricultural output

Indices: 2015 = 100
	Weights²	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
							(provisional)

Finished steers and heifers	216	90	97	109	101	100	98
Culled cows and bulls	41	107	114	120	102	100	101
Store cattle exported	6	84	89	96	97	100	94
Finished sheep and lambs	37	121	107	114	112	100	114
Finished clean pigs	75	113	118	131	123	100	99
Milk	303	131	124	150	140	100	97
Eggs for consumption	56	91	107	98	96	100	99
Broilers	120	107	107	115	108	100	95
Potatoes:
Ware maincrop	12	94	119	152	97	100	118
Seed	1	119	103	143	109	100	110
Barley	12	137	150	137	112	100	102
Wheat	6	141	149	144	115	100	101
Mushrooms	43	93	95	97	99	100	100
Apples	7	49	68	99	96	100	98

Total products index²	935	110	111	125	117	100	99
Inputs index³	1,000	99	105	110	107	100	100

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 2016, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland

Open in Excel: NI22.5 Indices of producer prices of agricultural output (XLS 14KB)

Average producer prices of agricultural products

NI22.6 Average producer prices¹ of agricultural products

£ per unit
	Unit	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
							(provisional)

Finished steers, heifers and young bulls	head	977.49	1,074.16	1,157.12	1,086.34	1,106.09	1,082.29
Finished steers, heifers and young bulls	kg dwt	2.92	3.17	3.55	3.29	3.26	3.19
Calves slaughtered or exported	head	248.54	244.44	247.45	296.59	307.50	304.16
Culled cows and bulls	head	714.40	740.01	784.68	680.84	666.49	670.11
Culled cows and bulls	kg dwt	2.29	2.44	2.57	2.18	2.14	2.16
Store cattle exported	head	667.73	710.92	761.66	770.50	795.10	748.84
Finished sheep and lambs	head	89.79	78.46	82.39	83.08	73.89	83.00
Finished sheep and lambs	kg dwt	4.13	3.64	3.87	3.82	3.40	3.88
Finished clean pigs	head	110.14	115.44	130.72	125.01	102.41	102.22
Finished clean pigs	kg dwt	1.34	1.40	1.56	1.46	1.19	1.18
Milk²	litre	0.28	0.26	0.32	0.30	0.21	0.21
Eggs for consumption	dozen	0.68	0.80	0.73	0.72	0.76	0.75
Broilers	kg lwt	0.80	0.80	0.86	0.81	0.75	0.71
Potatoes:
Ware maincrop³	tonne	120.59	152.80	195.85	124.84	128.53	151.11
Seed	tonne	182.56	157.36	218.14	167.37	152.86	167.58
Barley	tonne	178.94	195.76	179.21	145.89	130.36	133.55
Wheat	tonne	191.10	203.08	194.98	155.66	135.84	137.29
Oats	tonne	172.84	207.10	192.80	161.93	152.38	141.20
Mushrooms	tonne	1,390.00	1,425.00	1,450.00	1,484.00	1,496.00	1,496.00
Apples	tonne	133.11	183.36	266.94	258.93	265.44	266.49

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 2016, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland

Open in Excel: NI22.6 Average producer prices of agricultural products (XLS 11KB)

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Statistical Yearbook of Ireland 2017

Northern Ireland Agriculture

Crop areas in Northern Ireland, 2007-2016

Livestock numbers, June 2007 - 2016

Number of farms in Northern Ireland, June 2007 - 2016

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

Indices of producer prices of agricultural output

Average producer prices of agricultural products

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