Agriculture Sector

Regional and Local Overview

• There are 13,445 farms in Galway, 14,730 average work and labour units, €13,852 is the average labour output and 615,877 total hectares
• Galway has the highest number of farms in the West of Ireland with an average farm size of 25.8 hectares.
• There is a trend in the number of large farms increasing while the number of small farms is decreasing.
• 65% of farms in Galway are for beef production.
• There has been a 55% decrease in specialist dairy farms since 2000 and 33% decrease in mixed grazing livestock farms.
• The average output of farms in Galway (€13,852) is 54% less than the State's average output (€30,726) in 2010.
• Over 65 year olds are the largest cohort of farm holders and 34 % of farm enterprises do not generate sufficient income.
• Economically viable farms increased from 27% in 2010 to 35% in 2011.
• Some 380 farms produce cereals with 280 farms producing spring barley.
• Fertilizer spreading costs is greater in Galway than other counties.
• There were 11,247 cattle farms in 2010, with 420,205 cattle and 24, 928 being dairy cows.
• Galway has 6.3% of total cattle stock in Ireland, 2.3% of Ireland's dairy cow stock and has the most cattle in the State after Cork.
• After Donegal, Galway has the most sheep in the State at 576,463 sheep
• Galway has the most goats in the State.
• There are 3,916 sheep farms, 60 pig farms, 810 poultry farms (the largest number after Cork in the State).
• There are 151 milk producers in County Galway and the sixth largest number of dairy cows in the sector.
• There are 10 farmers' markets ranking Galway number four in the State after Dublin, Cork and Kerry.
• Agricultural education has been provided in Mountbellew Agricultural College since 1904.