Primary Economic Activities (Leaving Cert Geography): Revision Notes
Primary Economic Activities
Primary economic activities in Ireland's western region play a crucial role in the local economy, though they face significant challenges due to the area's peripheral location and physical constraints. These activities include agriculture, forestry, fishing, and limited oil and gas extraction.
Agriculture
Characteristics and importance
Agriculture remains vital to the western economy, supporting 13.6% of the region's population directly through farming activities. In some areas like Roscommon, this figure rises to 20% of the population. However, western agriculture operates quite differently from farming in other parts of Ireland.
Subsistent agriculture refers to farming that is less prosperous and commercially focused, often maintaining traditional practices rather than maximising profits.
Western agriculture is characterised as subsistent and underdeveloped compared to other Irish regions. This means farming in the West generates lower profits and relies heavily on traditional methods rather than modern commercial practices.
Farm characteristics and challenges
Farms in the western region are notably smaller than elsewhere in Ireland. The average farm size across the western counties is approximately 25 hectares - significantly smaller than what's needed to generate substantial income. County-specific averages show Galway at 25.82 hectares, Mayo at 22.41 hectares, and Roscommon at 27.13 hectares.
These small farms depend primarily on livestock farming, particularly sheep and dry stock cattle rearing, because the land is generally unsuitable for more intensive tillage farming. Only 0.5% of productive farmland is used for growing cereals, while 72.8% is dedicated to pastoral farming.
The farming population faces significant demographic challenges. In 2014, 60% of farmers were over 55 years old, representing a 5% increase since 2010. Many older farmers are reluctant to invest in modernising their operations, preferring traditional methods they've always used.
Economic viability and subsidies
Direct Payments are annual grants issued by the EU to support farmers and maintain agricultural viability in less profitable regions.
Western agriculture heavily depends on EU subsidies for survival. Only 14% of farms in the region would be economically viable without EU Direct Payments. This dependency highlights the challenging economic reality facing western farmers.
Over 50% of farmers in the West are part-time or 'hobby' farmers, meaning they maintain other jobs outside farming. These farmers often continue agricultural activities to preserve family traditions rather than generate primary income.
Changing practices and multifunctionality
Younger farmers increasingly adopt new approaches to make their farms more profitable. Many are developing multifunctional farming operations that combine traditional agriculture with additional income sources:
- Using farmhouses as bed and breakfast accommodation during summer months
- Creating hillwalking paths through farmland for tourists
- Producing craft foods like jams and baked goods
- Operating pet farms for visitors
Multifunctional farming involves providing more than one role or service from the same agricultural land, helping farmers diversify their income sources.
Factors affecting agriculture in the West
Several interconnected factors make agricultural development challenging in Ireland's western region.
Climate challenges
The western climate significantly limits agricultural potential. High precipitation levels and lower temperatures restrict tillage farming opportunities. Heavy rainfall contributes to soil problems through leaching, erosion, and waterlogging, while cooler temperatures create shorter growing seasons.
These conditions mean cattle must be housed for longer periods, requiring farmers to purchase and store large amounts of silage and feeds throughout many months. This substantially increases farm expenditure while reducing potential income.
Relief and drainage difficulties
The upland terrain across much of the West creates multiple agricultural challenges. Machinery access becomes difficult on steep slopes, while heavy rainfall in upland areas leads to waterlogging in lower regions.
Glacial activity historically scraped away much of the overlying soil, leaving areas bare and infertile. The remaining soil tends to be thin and stony, making cultivation difficult. Glacial deposits also disrupted natural drainage patterns, contributing to widespread waterlogging problems.
Boulder clay layers are often impermeable, causing additional waterlogging and encouraging marshland development - conditions unsuited to intensive agriculture.
Soil limitations
Upland areas are predominantly covered with infertile peat soils that are prone to waterlogging. These conditions severely limit agricultural options, restricting most farming to sheep and cattle rearing rather than crop production.
Severe leaching has created infertile podzols in areas like east Mayo, encouraging the growth of hardy weed grasses such as rushes rather than nutritious pasture grasses. Many farmers lack sufficient resources to invest in soil improvement machinery, preventing them from cultivating soils to their full potential.
Market and infrastructure constraints
The West's peripheral location creates significant market access problems. The region remains isolated from main Irish and EU markets, while transport infrastructure is poorly developed throughout the area.
Transportation costs for getting goods to market are consequently high. Galway serves as the only large urban area in the region, creating limited local demand for agricultural products. Although Galway also provides the region's only major port, this means goods must first be transported there before reaching EU markets.
Cattle farmers typically sell their animals to buyers in the Greater Dublin Area and south-eastern regions, where animals are fattened in feedlots before processing. While this arrangement provides some income for western farmers, it offers relatively little profit compared to more integrated operations elsewhere.
Rural depopulation
Traditional farming practices involved passing land from fathers to sons, with the inheriting son expected to continue operating the farm using established methods. However, as Ireland developed economically, agriculture was no longer viewed as the only viable career option.
The introduction of free post-primary education in the 1960s and free third-level education in the 1990s provided young people with opportunities previously unavailable to their parents. Many young people now spend extended periods in education before pursuing better-paid careers with greater security than farming offers.
Young people typically seek employment near their educational institutions rather than returning to rural areas, creating substantial farm abandonment as older farmers retire without successors. This ongoing rural-urban migration continues increasing land abandonment throughout the western region.
Forestry
Government objectives and development
Under the National Development Plan, the Irish government aims to increase forest coverage from the current 10% to 15% of national land area. Much of this afforestation is occurring in the western region because upland soils, though poor for agriculture, support tree growth effectively.
Many farmers recognise that marginal land used for rough grazing could generate more profit through forestry. Both EU and Irish government grants encourage farmers to establish forests on marginal lands.
Forest management and types
Most new plantations consist of coniferous forests managed by Coillte, the state-sponsored forestry company. Coillte has overseen the planting of over 50,000 hectares of coniferous forests throughout the western region.
Current plantings focus mainly on upland and marsh areas, though increasing land abandonment may enable further afforestation on less marginal land in the future.
Suitability for the West
While very exposed upland areas cannot support afforestation due to cold temperatures, many parts of the western region are well-suited for forest development. Several factors make forestry attractive for the West:
The mild, wet climate combined with a relatively long growing season encourages rapid growth of coniferous trees like Sitka spruce and Scots pine. These species actually grow twice as quickly in western Ireland compared to eastern regions.
Trees grow effectively in the gleys, podzols, and peaty soils common throughout the West, providing a productive long-term alternative to unsuccessful farming on marginal lands. Trees can even be planted on cutaway bogs, utilising previously inaccessible or isolated land areas.
Fishing
Industry overview and employment
The western region offers excellent conditions for developing a strong fishing industry. While not as economically significant as agriculture, fishing provides employment for over 2,000 people across fishing, fish processing, and aquaculture sectors.
Natural advantages
Ireland's western coastline benefits from several geographical advantages that support fishing industry development. The coast is highly indented due to Atlantic Ocean erosion, creating numerous sheltered locations ideal for fishing ports and fish farming operations.
Continental shelf refers to the underwater edges of continental crust that are submerged by shallow waters, providing ideal conditions for marine life.
The North Atlantic Drift provides a warm ocean current that keeps western ports ice-free throughout winter while promoting diverse fish populations. Ireland lies on a wide, shallow continental shelf where sunlight can penetrate water and encourage plankton growth, providing abundant food sources that attract fish for breeding.
Low pollution levels entering western coastal waters maintain clean, toxin-free conditions that support both wild fish populations and shellfish farming, such as oyster farming in Galway Bay and mussel farming in Killary Harbour, County Mayo.
EU restrictions and policy challenges
Despite natural advantages, fishing development has been significantly hindered by EU restrictions. The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), introduced in 1983, aimed to combat overfishing and protect certain fish species from extinction while managing fish stocks throughout EU waters.
The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) introduced quotas, embargoes and restrictions on fishing vessel size and equipment to prevent overfishing and conserve fish stocks.
The CFP implemented several restrictive measures including quotas, embargoes, and limitations on fishing vessel size and equipment. Despite these conservation efforts, fish stocks along the western coast continued declining, leading to additional restrictions.
The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) system limits the amount of fish each country can harvest annually. Ireland receives only 19.5% of the total fish caught in a season throughout the EU, while just 20% of fish caught in Irish waters comes from Irish-registered vessels. These restrictions significantly reduce fishing's economic impact on the western region.
Aquaculture development
In response to fishing restrictions, aquaculture expanded rapidly during the first decade of the 2000s. By 2010, the aquaculture industry produced over 150,000 tonnes of fish products. Three major aquaculture companies established operations in Rossaveal:
- An Crompan
- Kilcummin
- Connemara Abalone
These companies enable long-term fishing industry development without environmental damage or contributing to overfishing problems. Ireland currently ranks fifth highest in EU aquaculture production and expects 61% growth by 2020.
Case study: Rossaveal
Case Study: Rossaveal Fishing Port
Rossaveal in County Galway represents the largest fishing port in the western region. The harbour accommodates 438 fishing vessels, though only 62 vessel owners actually live in the Rossaveal area. Fishing provides vital employment for local residents, even though only 1,690 tonnes of fish are landed at Rossaveal annually.
The town demonstrates how fishing remains economically important for local communities despite industry-wide challenges and restrictions.
Oil and gas
Limited development success
Oil and gas exploration off the western coast has achieved limited success. The largest discovery occurred in 1996 with the identification of a new gas field located 70 kilometres off the Mayo coast.
Corrib Gas Field
The Corrib Gas Field contains over 28 million cubic metres of natural gas - sufficient to meet Ireland's gas supply requirements for 18 years. Despite obvious economic advantages, the discovery has generated significant controversy.
The project operates under private company control (Shell and E&P Ireland Ltd), while legislation introduced in the late 1980s reduced government benefits from oil and gas discoveries. This means Ireland ranks as the second lowest globally in terms of government revenue from hydrocarbon discoveries, as Shell sells gas to Bord Gáis Energy at normal market prices rather than reduced rates.
Additional controversy arose in County Mayo due to Shell's decision to pump raw gas ashore rather than refining it offshore. Raw gas is much less stable than refined gas and requires high-pressure pipeline transport. Shell selected Bellnaboy village as their refinery location.
Construction proceeded despite strong local opposition due to safety concerns. In March 2013, Exxon Mobil conducted further drilling in the area, but early promising signs have not resulted in additional oil and gas discoveries.
Key Points to Remember:
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Agriculture dominates western primary activities but faces challenges from small farm sizes (average 25 hectares), ageing farmers (60% over 55), and dependence on EU subsidies (only 14% of farms economically viable without them)
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Multiple factors limit agricultural development: high rainfall and cool temperatures, poor drainage and infertile soils, isolation from markets, and ongoing rural depopulation
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Forestry offers opportunities for marginal land use, with government targets of 15% forest coverage and rapid tree growth in western conditions
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Fishing benefits from excellent natural conditions but faces severe EU restrictions through the Common Fisheries Policy, leading to aquaculture development as an alternative
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Oil and gas potential remains largely untapped despite the significant Corrib Gas Field discovery, which has generated controversy over private company control and safety concerns