Farm Structure Survey 2016

Land Utilisation

Open in Excel:

There was almost 4.9 million hectares of Agricultural Area Used (AAU) in 2016 in Ireland, including 427,800 hectares of commonage.
Almost 4.1 million hectares was Grassland, with the remaining composed of Cereals (280,400), Other Crops, Fruit and Horticulture (71,100 hectares) and Rough Grazing (16,300 hectares).
Two thirds (280,000 hectares) of the total commonage was located in the BMW region.
Just over half (54.0%) of the AAU was located in the SE Region.
The SE region contained just over 80% of the total land devoted to cereals.

Table 3.1 Area and utilisation of agricultural land in each region 2016

Table 3.1 Area and utilisation of agricultural land in each region - 2016
Region	Agricultural Area Used (incl. Commonage)	Commonage	Agricultural Area Used (excl. Commonage)	Rough Grazing	Grassland (excl. Rough Grazing)	Cereals	Other Crops, Fruit & Horticulture
Region	000 hectares
State	4,883.6	427.8	4,455.8	16.3	4,088.0	280.4	71.1

Border, Midland and Western	2,245.0	280.0	1,965.0	7.8	1,887.5	56.0	13.7
Border	852.2	106.5	745.6	4.5	712.8	22.1	6.2
Midland	448.4	2.1	446.3	0.7	410.0	29.4	6.2
West	944.4	171.3	773.1	2.6	764.7	4.5	1.3

Southern and Eastern	2,638.7	147.9	2,490.7	8.5	2,200.5	224.4	57.3
Mid-East and Dublin	465.7	30.6	435.2	0.7	332.0	81.0	21.5
Mid-West	559.7	7.7	552.0	1.0	541.3	7.8	1.9
South-East	723.0	25.9	697.1	1.2	577.8	95.0	23.1
South-West	890.3	83.8	806.5	5.6	749.4	40.7	10.8

Table 3.2 Grassland: Number of farms with grassland and area of grassland in each region by hectare 2016

Table 3.2 Grassland: Number of farms with grassland and area of grassland in each region by hectare - 2016
'000
Region	Grass silage				Hay				Pasture				Grassland(excl. rough grazing)
	1st to 4th year's grass silage		Permanent grass silage		1st to 4th year's hay		Permanent meadow		Rotation under 5 years		Permanent pasture		Grassland(excl. rough grazing)
	farms	ha	farms	ha	farms	ha	farms	ha	farms	ha	farms	ha	farms	ha
State	14.0	60.3	135.1	1,050.3	13.7	4.3	135.1	218.8	14.0	45.3	135.6	2,709.2	136.6	4,088.0

Border, Midland and Western	4.7	18.1	72.0	489.3	4.6	1.3	71.8	101.9	4.7	13.8	72.1	1,263.1	72.4	1,887.5
Border	1.6	5.7	28.2	185.7	1.6	0.4	28.0	38.6	1.6	4.2	28.2	478.3	28.3	712.8
Midland	1.8	8.1	12.5	104.1	1.7	0.6	12.6	21.7	1.8	6.2	12.6	269.3	12.7	410.0
West	1.3	4.3	31.3	199.5	1.3	0.3	31.2	41.6	1.3	3.4	31.3	515.5	31.4	764.7

Southern and Eastern	9.3	42.2	63.1	561.0	9.1	3.0	63.3	116.9	9.3	31.5	63.5	1,446.1	64.2	2,200.5
Mid-East and Dublin	1.8	9.0	9.8	83.5	1.7	0.6	9.7	17.4	1.8	6.7	9.8	214.9	10.0	332.0
Mid-West	0.8	3.8	15.6	141.0	0.8	0.3	15.8	29.4	0.8	2.9	15.8	364.0	15.9	541.3
South-East	4.1	18.0	15.7	144.3	4.0	1.3	15.9	30.0	4.1	13.3	15.9	370.9	16.2	577.8
South-West	2.6	11.4	22.0	192.2	2.6	0.8	21.9	40.1	2.6	8.6	22.0	496.3	22.1	749.4

Table 3.3 Cereals: Number of farms growing cereals and the area of cereals in each region 2016

Table 3.3 Cereals: Number of farms growing cereals and the area of cereals in each region 2016
'000
Region	Wheat				Oats				Barley				Total cereals
	Winter		Spring		Winter		Spring		Winter		Spring		Total cereals
	farms	hectares	farms	hectares	farms	hectares	farms	hectares	farms	hectares	farms	hectares	farms	hectares
State	2.7	60.3	0.8	7.5	1.1	13.3	1.4	10.0	4.4	74.7	8.2	114.6	10.6	280.4

Border, Midland and Western	0.6	10.1	0.1	1.0	0.2	2.3	0.5	2.9	1.1	15.8	2.1	23.8	2.8	56.0
Border	0.3	5.6	0.0	0.4	0.1	1.1	0.2	1.1	0.4	7.6	0.6	6.3	0.9	22.1
Midland	0.3	4.3	0.1	0.5	0.1	1.1	0.2	1.1	0.6	7.3	1.2	15.1	1.5	29.4
West	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.7	0.1	0.9	0.3	2.5	0.4	4.5

Southern and Eastern	2.1	50.2	0.7	6.5	0.9	11.0	0.9	7.0	3.3	58.9	6.1	90.7	7.8	224.4
Mid-East and Dublin	1.1	31.6	0.2	1.9	0.3	4.6	0.2	1.6	1.0	22.1	1.2	19.3	1.9	81.0
Mid-West	0.1	0.7	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.3	0.2	3.1	0.3	3.4	0.4	7.8
South-East	0.8	13.6	0.3	2.3	0.5	5.3	0.5	3.6	1.4	21.9	3.1	48.2	3.7	95.0
South-West	0.2	4.3	0.3	2.2	0.1	1.0	0.2	1.6	0.7	11.7	1.5	19.8	1.8	40.7

Table 3.4 Other Crops, Fruit & Horticulture: Number of farms and area in each region 2016

Table 3.4 Other Crops, Fruit & Horticulture: Number of farms and area in each region - 2016
'000
Region	Beans and peas		Oilseed rape		Arable silage		Maize silage		Fodder rape, kale and turnips		Potatoes
Region	farms	hectares	farms	hectares	farms	hectares	farms	hectares	farms	hectares	farms	hectares
State	1.1	12.5	0.6	9.9	0.1	0.9	1.3	10.9	2.4	12.3	1.1	9.0

Border, Midland and Western	0.2	1.7	0.1	1.4	0.0	0.5	0.2	1.7	0.6	2.9	0.4	2.2
Border	0.1	0.5	0.1	0.7	0.0	0.2	0.1	1.0	0.1	0.5	0.2	1.9
Midland	0.1	1.1	0.0	0.7	0.0	0.2	0.1	0.6	0.4	1.9	0.1	0.2
West	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.5	0.1	0.1

Southern and Eastern	1.0	10.8	0.5	8.4	0.1	0.3	1.1	9.3	1.8	9.4	0.7	6.8
Mid-East and Dublin	0.3	4.3	0.2	4.2	0.0	0.1	0.2	2.1	0.2	1.7	0.2	3.8
Mid-West	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.4	0.1	0.4	0.0	0.1
South-East	0.5	4.8	0.2	3.6	0.0	0.1	0.5	3.7	0.9	4.5	0.2	2.0
South-West	0.2	1.6	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.1	0.4	3.1	0.6	2.8	0.2	0.8

Table 3.4 (cont'd) Other Crops, Fruit & Horticulture: Number of farms and area in each region 2016

Table 3.4(cont'd) Other Crops, Fruit & Horticulture: Number of farms and area in each region - 2016
'000
Region	Vegetables for sale		Fruit for sale				Nurseries, horticulture etc.		Fallow land		Other crops		Total crops, fruit and horticulture (excl. cereals)
	Vegetables for sale		Apples		Other fruit		Nurseries, horticulture etc.		Fallow land		Other crops		Total crops, fruit and horticulture (excl. cereals)
	farms	hectares	farms	hectares	farms	hectares	farms	hectares	farms	hectares	farms	hectares	farms	hectares
State	0.4	3.7	1.2	0.6	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.5	1.0	3.3	2.1	7.6	8.4	71.1

Border, Midland and Western	0.1	0.6	0.5	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.5	0.8	2.4	2.6	13.7
Border	0.0	0.3	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.2	0.3	0.9	0.9	6.2
Midland	0.0	0.2	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.2	0.3	1.1	1.0	6.2
West	0.0	0.1	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.4	0.7	1.3

Southern and Eastern	0.3	3.1	0.7	0.5	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.5	0.8	2.8	1.3	5.3	5.9	57.3
Mid-East and Dublin	0.1	2.0	0.1	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.2	1.2	0.3	1.8	1.3	21.5
Mid-West	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.2	0.5	0.4	1.9
South-East	0.1	0.8	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.4	1.2	0.5	1.9	2.5	23.1
South-West	0.1	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.4	0.4	1.0	1.7	10.8