Cattle output price up almost 50% for April 2025
This result comes from the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) agricultural price indices report. Prices for cattle have been on the rise since July 2024, but significant increases have been seen since January. The CSO noted a monthly increase of 7.2% for cattle for April 2025.
Cattle output price specifically for calves has seen an annual increase of 170% for April 2025. Cattle's annual percentage change in the last 12 months, excluding calves, has seen an increase of 48.4% in the output price index.
Other significant increases in the output price index in the last 12 months were seen in milk with a rise of 18.7% and eggs, which saw a rise of 4.1%. Pigs have seen an annual change of 1.1% and poultry a 2.3% increase in the outprice index.
The only decrease in the output price index for animals was seen in sheep, which experienced a decrease of 1.1% in the 12 months from April 2024. Wool output price has also seen no percentage change in the last year.
The most significant figure for crops is a decrease in the output price for potatoes (including seeds), which saw a reduction of 9.3% in output price compared to April 2024 figures. Reductions for cereals (including seeds) and vegetables were also recorded by the CSO, with reductions of 0.2% and 2.9% respectively. Industrial and forage crops were the only crop outputs that saw an increase of 3.4% in annual percentage change.
Commenting on the release, Sam Scriven, Senior Statistician in the Agriculture Division, said: "Agricultural prices rose in the month to April 2025 with the Agricultural Output Price Index increasing by 2.6% and the Input Price Index rising by 0.3%. Compared with April 2024, the Output Price Index has risen by 23.5%, while the Input Price Index has fallen by 1.0%.'
Over the 12 months to April 2025, increases in the Input prices were recorded for fertilisers with an increase of 7.5%, veterinary expenses, which rose by 4.7%, and plant protection products with an increase of 3.8%.
Straight fertilisers saw an annual increase of percentage change of 12.5% for April 2025. Compound fertilisers increased by 6.1%, NPK fertilisers increased by 6.8%, and NP and PK fertilisers experienced a reduction of 3.2%.
Feeding stuffs have decreased by 4.9% in the last 12 months. Motor fuels dropped by 5.8%, but electricity increased by 1.3% in the input price index when compared to April 2024 figures.
Terms of Trade rose by 2.3% in April 2025 when compared with the previous month and were 24.8% higher when compared with April 2024.
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