A 70% increase in farm incomes in the past two years has been highlighted by the Central Statistics office. Much of this is attributed to growth in milk, meat and cereal prices.
Central Statistic information show farm incomes rose by 32.5pc in 2011, following a 28.7pc increase in 2010.
These figures show Irish farm income increased at twice the European average but still behind Denmark and the Netherlands.
Farmers produced a record �6.2bn worth of food, while their costs rose to �4.7bn and they got �1.86bn in subsidies.
This left them with a surplus of almost �2.5bn in 2011, over �1bn more than in 2009.
Dairy farmers enjoyed the best year, as world milk prices grow and gover them over �700m more than they got in 2009/
Cattle and beef farmers grew close to 20pc last year.
Cereal farmers had a good 2011 - a bumper harvest and high brought about a 52pc increase in crop value
Sheep farmers enjoyed a 14pc increase in sales in 2011

Farming costs also rose by 12pc last year with particular increases in the price of energy, feedand fertilisers
The other side of these figures as pointed out by the Irish Farmers Association ( IFA) is that the average income per farmer in 2011 is �21,500.