THE SUNDAY TIMES -- Irish famers who drove their tractors to Dublin in protest at their low incomes may be no worse off than their urban counterparts, according to an Economic and Social Research (ESRI) study. The ESRI data shows that farmers, and other rural dwellers, actually suffer less poverty than city or townspeople. Surveys by financial institutions also show that farmers are the biggest contributors to the government's special savings investment accounts, which seems to suggest that they have mroe disposable income. An OECD report shows that Irish farmers earned an average of €634 a week in 1999/2000 compared to €666 earned by non-farming households. [Maeve Sheehan and ESRI (Dr Mary Keeney)] FP 5:53:19 AM