Changes in agricultural labour efficiency in Northern Ireland 1975-1984
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55650/igj.1986.714Abstract
A key factor in achieving economies of scale made possible by structural improvements in agriculture, is the more efficient use of farm labour. An analysis is made of farm employment and production data for Northern Ireland in 1975 and 1984 to investigate whether labour efficiency has increased during a period of general structural improvement in N. Ireland agriculture. In 1975 a labour efficiency index of 69.5 for the province, implied a surplus of labour above the current production needs of the industry (structural underemployment) of over 30 per cent. Regional analysis revealed spatial variations in efficiency levels, lowest levels being encountered in ihe south and west of the Province, and in hill areas, with labour efficiency increasing to the north and east. By 1984, a marked improvement to a provincial mean of 88.7 had been achieved, although levels of increase varied between regions, increasing Ihe spatial disparities in labour efficiency already in evidence in 1975.Downloads
Published
2016-12-20
How to Cite
Edwards, C. J. W. (2016). Changes in agricultural labour efficiency in Northern Ireland 1975-1984. Irish Geography, 19(2), 74–82. https://doi.org/10.55650/igj.1986.714
Issue
Section
Articles
URN
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
