Ireland set a record for ag exports in 2024
It’s St. Patrick’s Day, so why not grab a green beverage and learn a little bit about agriculture on the Emerald Isle.
Number of Farms
As of Ireland’s 2020 Census of Agriculture, the country had 135,037 farms, with an average farm size of about 82 acres.
That’s comparable to the number of U.S. farms in Iowa, Florida, and Delaware combined that year. American farms averaged 81 acres per operation in 2020.
Outnumbered by Cattle
In 2023, Ireland was home to 7.32 million cattle.
The country only had 5.3 million humans that year.
Exports in 2024
In 2024, Ireland exported about €17 billion (US$18.58 billion) of agricultural products. This represents an increase of 5 percent from 2023, according to a report from the Irish Food Board, an agency devoted to promoting Irish food products.
That year, exports of meat were up by 6 percent, or €4.3 billion (US$4.7 billion).
This increase “was driven by higher volumes and higher unit prices,” the Food Board’s report says.
Ireland exports most of its food to the United Kingdom, but the country is making export gains in North America, Asia and Africa, too.
Irish Ag Innovations
Farm equipment manufacturer Massey Ferguson is named after Irishman Harry Ferguson.
Born in County Down, Ireland, Ferguson is an important figure in modern tractor development and the three-point hitch, sometimes referred to as the Ferguson System.
Harry Ferguson.
“The plow is attached in such a manner that is becomes a unit with the machine and is as flexible as the machine itself, a slight exertion on the part of the operated raising the bottoms from the ground,” a September 1922 newspaper article says about the system. “When raised the plow is suspended and the tractor may be driven across headlands, backed up, or maneuvered in any way that is desired.”
An Irish farmer came up with a way to support clover seeding on his operation.
Albert O’Neill modified his slurry tanker with a hopper that allows him to add clover seed when filling slurry, an Irish publication says.
That’s only of the tools O’Neill has created. Others can be found on his company’s Facebook page.
Another farmer, Liam Murphy, came up with an idea to bolt tires together into a mat-like shape to make it easier for farmers to cover silage pits.
The Great Famine
The Great Famine, also known as the Irish Potato famine, lasted from 1845 to 1852 and occurred because of a disease in the country’s potato crops.
Late blight in potato crops paired with damp conditions destroyed the leaves and tubers of the plants.
At the time, potatoes were a staple in Irish diets, accounting for about 80 percent of calories families consumed, Britannica says.
The British government’s response at the time was deemed inadequate, leaving farmers to be evicted by their landlords.
Around 1 million people left the country, and another million people died during The Great Famine.
Potato blight returned in 1879, but the Irish were prepared and took action to support farmers.
Praying to Dagda
Dagda is to Irish mythology what Zeus is to Greek mythology.
Dagda is not only the god of life and death, but also of agriculture. In addition, he had a harp that controlled the seasons and men.
It’s believed with one strum of his harp, Dagda could put the four seasons in order, or prepare warriors for battle.
Dagda also has a tree that always bore fruit. And two pigs – one that was always growing, and the other was always roasting.
World Records
Members of Ireland’s ag community hold world records.
In September 2014, Irish farmers contributed to setting the world record for the most tractors of the same brand working simultaneously.
A total of 726 Ferguson tractors worked the land at Grianan Estate.
In 2012, an Irish bull set the record for the world’s shortest bull.
At the time, Archie, a 29-month-old Dexter from Northern Ireland, set the record with a height of 30 inches from hoof to the withers.