Agriculture in Ireland

Following the Acts of Union 1800, the majority of rural Irish workers participated in the agricultural sector of Ireland's economy.

[2]: 228 [3] Large herbivorous mammals such as the European Elk and the Aurochs were not naturally present on the island at that time, showcasing the importance of managing cattle as a food source.

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.

[6]: 11 From 1821 to 1841 the agricultural labour force grew by half, the cost would have to have been met by a difficult to achieve 1% annual growth in production.

In 1845, potatoes accounted for a little under a third of tilled acreage in Ireland, with it being the food source that three million people were exclusively dependent on.

In the decades following the famine, the majority of merchandise exports were still due to agriculture, farming accounted for a third of national output and over half the working population were employed in the occupation.

After the 1932 Irish general election resulted in a Fianna Fáil government, the Free State adopted significant protectionist policies ordered towards ensuring agricultural self-sufficiency.

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.

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.

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.

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.

While agri-food products are mainly provided by the United Kingdom, Ireland imports goods from several other countries such as France, Netherlands, and Italy.

Ireland receives a considerable proportion of its agricultural commodity and grocery product needs from the United Kingdom, although this declined by 25 percent in the first half of 2021 on account of additional customs and logistical complexities following the U.K.'s departure from the European Union.

Major agricultural products of Ireland include milk, barley, beef, wheat, potatoes, pork, oats, poultry, mushrooms/truffles, and mutton.