The publication of the Central Statistics Office's advance estimate of agricultural income indicating a drop of 8.5 per cent in 2002 has sparked off a new row between the Department of Agriculture and the Irish Farmers Association.
The CSO figures said the operating surplus on Irish farms fell by 8.5 per cent before deductions for interest payments and land rental with the value of milk output declining by 10 per cent, sheep by 30.8 per cent and pigs by 13.5 per cent.
The output value of cattle decreased by 6.2 per cent, cereals by 22.1 per cent while feeding costs increased by 3.8 per cent. Net subsidies increased by 17.2 per cent to €1.6 billion, and this year would account for 67.6 per cent of operating surplus.
The IFA President, Mr John Dillon, said the reduction, taken with inflation was a decline in real termsof almost 13 per cent and the greatest cause of the reduction was low prices for produce.