Ireland ranks aoung the 20 or so most devoloped countries in the world.Even within the European community(EC),Ireland's economy not the weakest.It has a high rate of economic growth,a good balance of trade,and a good rate of overseas invesment.But there are major problems within it's economy that og beyond the world recessaion of the early 19000s.The unemployment rate in the Republicis about 16%,and in some areas,such as the rural west,it is even higher.In Northern Ireland,the rate is about 15%.Large number of poeple-upto one thired of the population-have low incomes by the European standards.
While the bulk of both states and land is given over to agriculture,this sector contributes only a tiny propotion of the gross national product and empolys only about 15% of the workforce.The North has suffered economiclly from the political and social unrest of the last 25 years and from long-term changes in British industry.Shipbuilding and other manufacturingindustries have declined and have not been replaced with other industries. In the Republic, during periods of foreign investment, small-scale, light industries owned by foreign comapnies have been set up making use of large concessions from the Irish government in terms of rents and tax relief. Tourism is an expanding industry on both sides of the border,while mining and small craft industries are also significant.
Since the Republic's entry into the European Community, it has become highly dependant on the diary industry. Ireland's beef and dairy farms are essentially small-scale businesses with herds of less than 30 cattle on any one farm. Farmers are small - about 50 acres (20 hectares) at most-and use few modern techniques. Fully automated milking machines are not economical on such a small scale, while the machinery for making silage- the winter fodder-must be hired from firms that specialise in farm machinery. Farments produce spells oflow income and intensive labout as the animals must still be housed and fed. Where once the samll farms of Ireland would have produced other crops such as barly or sugar beet, now even fodder crops have given way to silage. Grass can be grown quickly with the use of artificial fertilizers and, in a good year, two harvests can be collected.
There are of course, drawbacks when only one kind of crop is grown on the land. Since all farms are small, no one has had the means to invest in new equipment or try new techniques. Then as now, Ireland depend on one main crop, and if a major disease should attack their crop, many small farmers wouldgo bankrupt since they have no other produce to fall back on. Bovine tubrculosis (a lung desease affecting cows) occurs more frequently in Ireland than anywhere in Europe, while a new problem, mad cow disease, has led to several epidemics.
Ireland's climate, which is mild but wet, means they typical crops of Britain such as wheat or corn
