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Is farming actually profitable?

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124

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    #92
    Hard Knocks
    Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Hard Knocks


    cute geoge wrote: »
    When you look back the years do not be long slipping,if the right parcel came up for sale near me I would almost walk on coals to buy it .Last year that parcel came up for lease ,I baulked when the price hit €350 .I would have some land parcels rented right for over 20 years now and at this stage I do not think I will ever get the chance to buy any nice parcel of land

    It’s hard to buy alright
    My father came close when I was young, on our doorstep but eventual buyer had £10,000 more than we could get
    I don’t think I’ll be able to buy, cost of living and modern day mortgages


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    #93
    20silkcut
    Registered Users Posts: 2,590 ✭✭✭20silkcut


    My sister married into Roscommon people that bought an out farm in Westmeath back in the 90’s.

    No internal fencing. No tractor . Just a holding pen and cattle crush. Carry about 100 cull cows on it. Sheep graze it in the winter. Farm Is blanket spread twice a year with cattle in the field. They used to get the fertilizer that was scraped out of the bottom of the boat. Worked fine. Always seemed to make plenty of money. More money than I could ever make on my farm on good ground in North Tipp . But I’m only at it a wet week in comparison to them.
    But yes minimal inputs and set stocking does work it seems .


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    #94
    Young95
    Registered Users Posts: 553 ✭✭✭Young95


    20silkcut wrote: »
    My sister married into Roscommon people that bought an out farm in Westmeath back in the 90’s.

    No internal fencing. No tractor . Just a holding pen and cattle crush. Carry about 100 cull cows on it. Sheep graze it in the winter. Farm Is blanket spread twice a year with cattle in the field. They used to get the fertilizer that was scraped out of the bottom of the boat. Worked fine. Always seemed to make plenty of money. More money than I could ever make on my farm on good ground in North Tipp . But I’m only at it a wet week in comparison to them.
    But yes minimal inputs and set stocking does work it seems .

    They were probably dairy farmers I’d presume no ?


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    #95
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users Posts: 18,666 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    Young95 wrote: »
    They were probably dairy farmers I’d presume no ?

    Ya, I see a dairy farmer doing similar. He has a huge block of land that he inherited about 20 miles from his own land. Teagasc advised him to put a second dairy farm on it. It just sub 200 acres. He runs it as one block. He puts cull cows, heifers, bullocks all together on it. He blanket spreads it in the spring and again in late summer. cattle are put onto it in bunches in from early April on and removed in November. He takes cattle out of it as they during the summer. in early summer there would be 130+ cattle on it and about 60-70 year and a half by October. The advantage for him is it keeps his dairy operation out of derogation. He uses all his slurry on the home farm for silage. I say he only visits it twice a week.

    Slava Ukrainii



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    #96
    Dickie10
    Registered Users Posts: 3,905 ✭✭✭Dickie10


    i thin being beef or sheep its a nnumbers game, like in any business cash flow is king. You need to be able to have a mionthly income at least round 9 months of the year. i am trying to have a monthly cheque coming in for the 12 months of the year between heifers killed, spring lambs killed and store lambs killed.


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    #97
    20silkcut
    Registered Users Posts: 2,590 ✭✭✭20silkcut


    Young95 wrote: »
    They were probably dairy farmers I’d presume no ?

    No sucklers and sheep on the home farm.


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    #98
    Danzy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,829 ✭✭✭✭Danzy


    Saw a great quote about farming.

    It's easier to save in cost than make it in sales.


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    #99
    landofthetree
    Registered Users Posts: 2,349 ✭✭✭landofthetree


    Carmen Angry Advertisement wrote: »
    Little background.. moved home from abroad a few years back, teaching close enough to home. Have planning permission on home farm and father is coming close to retirement. Have signed up to do Green Cert. Farm about 60 acres and only sheep on it.

    Anyways, been thinking about getting into the "family business". I'd have grown up doing jobs and know a bit about sheep. However, I havent a notion about the finances or running a farm. Its not something I'd do for the love of it or to break even.

    I know its a "how long is a piece of string?" question, but could a farm that size be profitable?? All I ever hear is how theres no money in farming.

    Thanks for reading and any feedback welcome.

    Agricultural land sells for very high prices.

    Why would people spent so much on buying farms if it wasn't profitable?


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    #100
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Danzy wrote: »
    Saw a great quote about farming.

    It's easier to save in cost than make it in sales.

    Yep, if you don't spend it, you don't have to make it back. Trouble is a lot of "advice" comes from the big book of send your money to town.


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    #101
    lalababa
    Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭lalababa


    landofthetree wrote: »
    Agricultural land sells for very high prices.

    Why would people spent so much on buying farms if it wasn't profitable?

    Because they're nuts! Ha ..ha.. but yeah 'coz they're nuts. A million euro house in a city would return 60k net before tax. A million euro farm is estimated to return anywhere from 40k down to -4k net depending on sector. AND you have to actually WORK the farm!


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    #102
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users Posts: 18,666 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    landofthetree wrote: »
    Agricultural land sells for very high prices.

    Why would people spent so much on buying farms if it wasn't profitable?

    In 2019 37k acres were sold. Area of all of Ireland is 32k sq miles. Allowing for the North, lakes, rivers cities towns and villages only 3-4 acres per sq mile changes hand every year or 0.5-1% if land bought and sold every year.

    While the perception is that land is dear by seeing prices of 10k plus the average price of agriculture land last year was about 5.5k. This is a car is a variation from forestry land at 2-4k/acre to very good quality land or semi development land for 15k+/acre

    Slava Ukrainii



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    #103
    HerveyFults
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭HerveyFults


    First of all, it depends on the area that you are located in and how much you are ready to invest in it. I think that all the farms are profitable, but they aren't profitable the entire year. If you are 100% into farming, be prepared to get a lot of debts and loans. My grandparents used to have a great farm. However, my old man was never 100% into farming. He even had another source of income. I have recently got the farm back from the bank, as my dad lost it due to his loans. Now I want to get a couple of new tractors from machinerydealer.co.uk and make that place great again.



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    #104
    smallbeef
    Registered Users Posts: 285 ✭✭smallbeef


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119239657#Comment_119239657

    I can't figure out whether you are an ad or a troll 🤔



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    #105
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058073786/is-farming-actually-profitable

    I would say the biggest cost in farming is time. Could be around 12 hours at the weekend and maybe an hour a day during the week.

    You are lucky that you have yourself and your father at it because farming alone is tough. It should be an enterprise ye both like.

    Like between subs and output there should be money out of it.

    You would want to research different farm enterprise’s. Would a handy amount of sheep in an organic system work?



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    #106
    Jim2007
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 10,315 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jim2007


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119239861#Comment_119239861

    Well, how many young fellas do you know who that have the cash to pay down the farm loans and then turn around buy a “couple” of new tractors from a third country handling the import process and extra duties? Make a list, you should have plenty of space on the back of a match book. And given the ‘make the place great bit’ maybe concentrate on young lads called Donald ;-)



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    #107
    893bet
    Registered Users Posts: 9,001 ✭✭✭893bet


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119239657#Comment_119239657

    A new tractor will sort it. Place will be flying it after thst.

    I used the machinery dealer place before and don’t recommend it. Terrible service.



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    #108
    DBK1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,215 ✭✭✭DBK1


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119239657#Comment_119239657

    I see a few tarmacadam laying machines for sale on machinery dealer. If you bought one of them you’d be able to lay all your own tarmacadam for the farm road ways. That’d really make the place great again for you.



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    #109
    K.G.
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,207 Mod ✭✭✭✭K.G.


    16560610090702792534609846155000.jpg

    Might be no harm to bear this in mind.keep away from suckered anyway



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    #110
    smallbeef
    Registered Users Posts: 285 ✭✭smallbeef


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119242358#Comment_119242358

    That's why the place needs to look great. A few new tractors positioned around the entrance and you'll be beating them off you.



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    #111
    FintanMcluskey
    Registered Users Posts: 8,426 ✭✭✭FintanMcluskey


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119242358#Comment_119242358

    Interesting stat that.

    Essentially only 40% of suckler farmers are happy



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    #112
    Donald Trump
    Registered Users Posts: 19,835 ✭✭✭✭Donald Trump


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119239657#Comment_119239657

    make that place America great again

    Fixed that for you



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    #113
    HerveyFults
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭HerveyFults


    First of all, it depends on the area that you are located in and how much you are ready to invest in it



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    #114
    smallbeef
    Registered Users Posts: 285 ✭✭smallbeef


    These must be Russian Spambots - they aren't working properly at all.



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    #115
    thinkabouit
    Registered Users Posts: 1,676 ✭✭✭thinkabouit


    If the farm is managed holistically it will be profitable.

    Otherwise, very hard slog.



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    #116
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119243294#Comment_119243294

    Only when the kremlin denies it (and they burst into flames) can you be sure.



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    #117
    lalababa
    Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭lalababa


    Just an add on....average dairy income is 100k....not too bad eh?



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    #118
    screamer
    Registered Users Posts: 6,156 ✭✭✭screamer


    It depends on many things. If you run it like a business then yes. If you flute around and run a half arsed effort, then no. I’ve seen fellas who rent land and run their operation well make more money than lads who were given a farm but who run it poorly. also see lads who make lots of money but love the big new tractors and toys, they never have any cash just a big brag machine to sit on. Flutes equally.



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    #119
    kk.man
    Registered Users Posts: 3,554 ✭✭✭kk.man


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119246093#Comment_119246093

    You summed it up there. I'd like to add find an enterprise and excel at it.



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    #120
    Picking Dasies
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭Picking Dasies


    Hi,


    If you were to keep 6-8 suckler cows to keep the place going with as little input and hardship as possible what would be the preferred breed of cow to give the maximum margins?

    Calves to be sold in October.

    Cows outwintered as long as possible - inside for Jan and Feb and out with calf in March.



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    #121
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users Posts: 18,666 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119320770#Comment_119320770

    I am not sure if it is worth the effort. Are you going to use AI or a bull. AI will mean checking cows for heat constantly arranging AI and getting cow on for breeding. Any decent bull will cost 2k + 4-500/ year maintenance.

    Your output will be an average of 1 calf per years less the number of cows over five years.

    Slava Ukrainii



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