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Abstract
The competitiveness and productivity of Irish agriculture has been at the forefront of debate in
recent times given successive and impending changes to agricultural policy. This paper
examines the trend in total factor productivity in Irish agriculture over the recent past and
explores the effects of specific variables on relative efficiency levels. The findings of this
research have shown that productivity growth was highest in the Cattle Rearing sector
followed by the Dairy, Cattle Finishing, Sheep and Cereals sectors during the period 1996 to
2006. The research has also shown that efficiency levels are, in general, positively correlated
with extension use soil quality, the overall size of the farm, the level of intensification and the
level of specialisation. The use of artificial insemination was also positively correlated with
efficiency in the Dairy sector