A newly published sustainability report on Irish agriculture in 2022 notes there was a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions from dairy, cattle, sheep and tillage farms.
The Teagasc National Farm Survey Sustainability Report tracks progress of farms in improving their economic, environmental and social sustainability.
This annual report compares performance of Irish farms from one year to the next and finds dairy was once again the economic powerhouse of Irish agriculture in 2022.
It said the family dairy farm income was €2,300 per hectare, compared to €1,043 for tillage, €372 for cattle and €340 for sheep.
In environmental impact terms, the reports shows milk was produced with a lower carbon footprint than in 2021 and even though dairy herd size increased, greenhouse gas emissions on the average dairy farm declined.
The report said was largely due to a reduction in the use of chemical nitrogen fertiliser. For the same reason, farm level emissions on cattle sheep and tillage farms also declined.
The report pointed out the reduction in use of nitrogen fertilisers was likely due to high prices before and after the start of the war in Ukraine, but also notes farmers are now strongly advised to reduce nitrogen fertiliser on economic and environmental grounds.
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Recent figures from the Department of Agriculture show use of the fertiliser is down another 16% this year compared with 2022.
The findings on emissions largely tally with a recent report from the Environmental Protections Agency, which found emissions from the agricultural sector dropped 1.4%last year.
Today's Teagasc report also analyses the number of average hours worked by farmers in each sector.
Dairy farmers work the longest hours putting in 2,657 days per year. Sheep farmers worked 2,246 hours, cattle farmers 2,139 hours and tillage farmers 2,133 hours.
Lead author of the report, Dr Cathal Buckley, Teagasc Rural Economy and Development Programme noted: "Dairying continues to exhibit a strong economic performance relative to other farm systems. We continue to see an increase in dairy output and dairy farm incomes.
"However, expressing farm incomes on a unit of family labour basis, Dairy and Tillage farms can be considered as relatively comparable in income terms.
"The results show that both of these farm system types considerably outperform the dry stock farm systems in economic terms."
On falling emissions Dr Buckley said: "Measured on a whole farm or per hectare basis, it is notable, that on average, Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across dairy, cattle, sheep and tillage declined in 2022 on the back of reduced chemical Nitrogen (N) fertiliser use.
"The report also illustrates the continuing adoption of actions to address gaseous emissions, particularly by dairy farmers. For example, in 2022, 34% and 75% of slurry on cattle and dairy farms respectively was applied to land using Low Emissions Slurry Spreading equipment.
"However, the uptake of other desirable practices, such as a transition to lower GHG emission fertilisers, remains low."
Comparing farm performance for recent years, Trevor Donnellan, Head of the Agricultural Economics and Farm Surveys Department in Teagasc, and co-author of the report however noted: "From a socio-economic point of view, the improvement in farm incomes in 2022 makes a larger share of farms sustainable in an economic context.
"It is notable that even though herd sizes increased on dairy farms in 2022, on average GHG emissions on a whole farm and per hectare basis declined, largely due to a significant decrease in chemical N fertiliser use on dairy farms.
"However, ammonia emissions increased due to increased use of straight urea fertiliser on dairy farms."
Teagasc Director Professor Frank O'Mara stated: "Teagasc research continues to develop and refine a range of technologies and farm management practices which can reduce the impact of agriculture on the environment.
"The Teagasc Signpost Programme will ensure that these solutions continue to be adopted by farmers.
"The Sustainability Report demonstrates how progress is already being made, and highlights where further improvements can be achieved.
"Critically the report demonstrates the multi-dimensional nature of sustainability in an economic, environmental and social context."
