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No Sfp

  • 24-02-2011 09:35PM
    #1
    hillclimber
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 54 ✭✭


    Would be interested in peoples views on the following. Is it possible to make a margin either tilage or drysock farming with no sfp ? If so how many acres needed for reasonable living. My own feeling is that its not possible and you would probably be better off leasing the land out, what do you think ?


Comments

  • #2
    johngalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,271 ✭✭✭✭johngalway


    Not unless there was a major readjustment upwards of the end product price. Input costs here are very high.

    My SFP is tiny, so while it'd hurt immensely I could maybe do without it. Remove the DAP and other payments and I'd go under then and there.

    IMO.


  • #3
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    i have a friend who gets no payments what so ever... she has an open farm as well as 150 acres of land , on which she has sheep , sucklers , horses , poultry she is not well off, income from the open farm plummeted last year. I dont know how she survives tbh


  • #4
    hillclimber
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 54 ✭✭hillclimber


    Bit depressing isnt it, been away from farming for a while, fortunate enough to have funds to get back in but cant see a whole lot of sense in it.


  • #5
    johngalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,271 ✭✭✭✭johngalway


    hillclimber wrote: »
    Bit depressing isnt it, been away from farming for a while, fortunate enough to have funds to get back in but cant see a whole lot of sense in it.

    What type of farming are you looking to get back into?


  • #6
    ihatetractors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 338 ✭✭ihatetractors


    Tillage is possible very much so as we recieve no sfp on land we take as it goes to the owner as part of the deal, and a 4 figure sum on our own land. To work though you need a very tight ship and alot more acerage to spread cost imo. We recieve no other Dap payments either..


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  • #7
    hillclimber
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 54 ✭✭hillclimber


    johngalway wrote: »
    What type of farming are you looking to get back into?

    Have a background in dairying but at this stage of my life would prefer to get back into tillage and cattle.


  • #8
    rancher
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,142 ✭✭✭rancher


    hillclimber wrote: »
    Have a background in dairying but at this stage of my life would prefer to get back into tillage and cattle.
    Well managed sheep enterprise is profitable too with a low capital requirement, bit more work, tunnels are cheap way to house for the winter. Teagasc also claim sheep is the only drystock enterprise that doesn't eat into sfp.


  • #9
    Pharaoh1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 354 ✭✭Pharaoh1


    Was doing my 2010 accounts on the spreadsheet last night and came to a few conclusions.
    As a part-time drystock farmer there is a small margin ( I did a kind of profit monitor including all variable costs and selected fixed costs)
    BUT
    there are loads of qualifications for this.
    - My official accounts won't come near showing a profit as you add in expenses such as a portion of your motoring costs, telephone etc..as well as a host of other allowable stuff - some of these are a bit generous imo
    For example I treat tractor fuel, insurance, tax, parts, repairs etc..as a farm expense but even if I wasn't farming I'd have the old tractor for bringing home the turf.
    - A lot depends on borrowings
    - A lot depends on investment in things like reseeding (or should reseeding be treated as a maintenance cost asopposed to investment?)
    - Performance matters a lot - ie whether you get 220kg or 130kg weight gain in a grazing season.


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