User:Bblack22/Agriculture in Ireland

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Dairy farming, or dairying, is Ireland's most profitable branch of agriculture, with over 18,000 dairy farmers harvesting around 1.55 million dairy cows. The large scale on which Ireland's dairy farming operates is a possibility due to Ireland's temperate maritime climate. Such a climate provides farmers with a large window to grow the substantial amounts of grass necessary to supply the immense cow population in a cost-efficient manner.^[1] Furthermore, the grass-based food source naturally available to the population of cows creates a sustainable production process aiding in the production of over 5.4 billion liters of milk annually. The grass-based food source, in part harvested from the thousands of acres of fields covering Ireland, can be attributed to the high quality and nutritious dairy products produced.^[2]

Ireland has an extensive history of farming beef, dating back thousands of years. Currently, cattle farming remains one of Ireland's most prominent sectors, with over 6.5 million cows on Irish farms, accounting for over 25 percent of agriculture output. Ireland's national breeding herd comprises 1.5 million dairy cows and 889,000 suckler cows, making Ireland's suckler cow herd the third largest in the world, following France and Spain.^[3] Furthermore, Ireland is noticed as a significant competitor in beef exports on the world stage, accounting for about 1.6 billion euros in exports yearly. Ireland exports the majority of their beef to the European Union, while the United Kingdom can be recognized as its largest consumer.^[4]

Tillage farming, the soil preparation for planting and cultivating the earth after planting, is another important sector in Ireland's agriculture.^[5] Ireland mainly takes part in the production of mono-crops such as wheat, barley, oats, and potatoes. Furthermore, potatoes remain a significant item in the Irish diet. However, Ireland imports significantly more potatoes than it exports. Irish farmers have exited the sugar farming market despite the 150 million euros previously produced annually due to global competition and labor costs related to sugar production. Ireland also hosts one of the world's highest potential for crop yield, presenting approximately 300,000 hectares of land solely dedicated to tillage farming. Ireland's vast farming land has allowed for the opportunity for farmers to break into the emerging organic tillage market as organic grains are becoming increasingly more demand throughout the world.^[6]

In 2020, Ireland's imports of Agri-food products totalled $10.626 billion. Despite Ireland's prominent agriculture productions, Ireland imports around 80 percent of its animal feed, food, beverages, and other Agri-food products. While Agri-food products are mainly provided by the United Kingdom, Ireland imports goods from several other countries such as France, Netherlands, and Italy.^[7]

The agricultural industry in Ireland is under the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (An Roinn Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara). Bord Bia is responsible for promoting the food and horticultural products of the industry, and Teagasc has a role in research and providing information to farmers. Dairy farmers are held to high standards making the quality of dairy products a significant factor in the operation of such businesses. Dairy farmers in Ireland are supervised by and regularly undergo inspections, product sampling, and audits through the Dairy Controls and Certification Division to ensure that specific standards are fulfilled.^[8]

During the medieval era in Ireland, recognized as the period from 400 AD to 1150 AD, many facts and figures are still unknown or vague to our discovery and understanding. Evidence from archaeological sites concludes that hulled barley and oats were the primary crops cultivated at this time. Other crops such as wheat, flax, pea, and bean have been discovered at these archaeological sites as well; however, only occasionally, suggesting their subordinate position in medieval agriculture production. Furthermore, towards the later half of the medieval period, studies have proved an increase in crop variety being discovered in more site locations, suggesting an overall increase in arable tillage throughout Ireland.^[9]