Unbalanced regional development is not unique to industry but also applies to agriculture, new research has underlined.
Figures released by the Central Statistics Office have shown that two-thirds of agricultural output is now based in the southern and eastern region with only a third coming from the rest of the State.
These showed the southern and eastern regions produced almost 65 per cent of agricultural output while the BMW (border, midlands and west) produced only 35 per cent last year.
The imbalance between the two regions was also shown in product areas. In the period 1995-2001, three-quarters of the national milk output was in the south and east.
National cattle output was split 60:40 in favour of the southern and eastern region. The CSO also reported that about 80 per cent of cereals were produced in the south and east.
About 45 per cent of national pig output was produced in the BMW region and only in sheep production was there an almost equal split between the two regions. The report also found that while the BMW region accounted for 52.7 per cent of farms in the State in the year 2000, it accounted for only 43.6 per cent of the area of land farmed.
In one area, however, the BMW fared almost as well as the south and east. Net subsidies were split almost evenly between the two regions.
BMW farmers received approximately 49 per cent of total net subsidies in 2001 and the south and east received 51 per cent.
The operating surplus in farming in 2001, however, was spilt approximately 58:42 in favour of the south and east.