Cattle prices jumped by close to half over the past year, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as agricultural output prices increased by more than a fifth across the board.
The CSO’s agricultural output price index rose by 20.7 per cent in the past year, whereas its measure of input costs edged up by just 0.1 per cent in the 12 months to May 2025.
Sam Scriven, a statistician in the CSO’s agriculture division, noted that despite the increase year-on-year, output prices dipped slightly in May, “decreasing by 0.8 per cent and the input pice index falling by 0.2 per cent”.
The biggest jump was seen in cattle, with output prices rising 48 per cent over the past 12 months.
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Irish Farmers Association livestock chairman Declan Hanrahan said the increase in cattle prices was down to pressure on the livestock industry from agricultural regulation and ageing farming populations, which are leading to lower livestock and slaughter volumes.
He described the market for beef and cattle as “buoyant” amid a lower supply of livestock noting “strong demand” for beef and live exports from overseas markets.
Wool prices increased by 31.9 per cent, while sheep outputs fell by 7 per cent.
Among staples, milk prices rose 14.2 per cent but potato prices were 15.1 per cent down.
While input prices overall were relatively stable, a significant cost increase was seen in fertilisers, with prices surging 10.2 per cent in the 12 months to May 2025.
For livestock farmers, veterinary expenses increased by 4.7 per cent, while there was a 2.3 per cent reduction in the price of feed.
Amid slightly lower global oil prices and improved supply conditions, there was a fall in the cost of motor fuels of 8 per cent. Terms of trade fell by 0.6 per cent in May 2025 when compared with the previous month and was 20.6 per cent higher when compared with May 2024.
