The number of farmers in Iceland has decreased by 26 percent in the past ten years with the development being most significant among dairy farmers, as stated by Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Jón Bjarnason in parliament last week.
The number of dairy farmers is down by 37 percent. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
The minister’s statement was made in response to a request by Social Democrat MP Sigmundur Ernir Rúnarsson, ruv.is reports.
Rúnarsson pointed out that the number of farmers had dropped significantly in Iceland’s neighboring countries and given the poor recruitment to farming in Iceland he was interested in learning what the situation was like here.
Bjarnason explained that with the overall decrease in the industry of 26 percent between 2000 and 2010, the number of dairy farmers is down by 37 percent and sheep farmers by 22 percent.
Click here to read about a farmer who recently had to slaughter his livestock.
