Food and drink sector expects rising costs in 2025 — survey

The biggest challenge facing businesses in the sector is cost of labour, which was cited by 71%

The biggest challenge facing businesses in the sector is cost of labour which was cited by 71%.

Irish food and drink manufacturers are expecting costs to increase across a wide range of areas in the coming months with labour costs being the biggest concern, a report by Food Drink Ireland has found.

According to the group’s Food and Drink Manufacturing Report 2025, the most widely expected cost increases will be wages, cited by 76% of business leaders working in the sector, along with the cost of raw materials and investment in sustainability — both of which were cited by 76% of people.