Sir, – The figures from the CSO’s Quarterly National Household Survey for July-September as reported by Dan O’Brien (Business, December 13th) are somewhat perplexing. It is quoted from the report that the largest sectoral decline took place in agriculture, forestry (not food) and fishing when 5,000 jobs were lost in three months (agriculture accounts for about 90 per cent of employment in this primary sector). However, in the corresponding quarter in 2010 there was a gain of 2,700 in relation to the previous quarter.
I find this contrasting situation quite astonishing. It is all the more so when it is estimated by the CSO that farm income increased by over 33 per cent this year while employment in the sector is shown to have fallen by 7,000 or 8 per cent over the past year. – Is mise,
Sir, – Tremendous news! Farm incomes are up 33 per cent in 2011.
Perhaps this presents an opportunity, with the widening of the tax base nationally, for an increased contribution from the current 2 per cent of all income tax collected from this sector. – Yours, etc,