A Study of Time and Labour Use on Irish Suckler Beef Farms

Abstract

Labour is one of the four factors of production and an increasingly costly and scarce input on farms. The attractiveness of non-farming employment, the nature of farm work and the price received for farm outputs are resulting in falling levels of hired and family labour. A study was undertaken to quantify labour use and efficiency issues on suckler beef farms and to identify on-farm factors which influenced labour use.