Cattle output price up 43.6% in June, according to CSO
Although experiencing the highest annual increase in the Output index, cattle dropped by 2% when comparing May and June figures. Picture: iStock
One of the most significant agricultural output prices was cattle, with an increase of 43.6%.
From the Central Statistics Office’s (CSO) latest release, cattle were one of the most significant output price increases in the last 12 months to June 2025.
Cattle, excluding calves, have experienced an annual increase of 43.2% in June 2025, despite experiencing a 2% drop between May and June 2025 in the output price index.
In the 12 months to June 2025, the Agricultural Output Price Index increased by 18.9%. However, it has fallen by 1% when comparing June 2025 figures to May 2025.
The other significant increase within the output price index was milk, which rose by 11.9% in the 12 months to June 2025, despite also experiencing a monthly drop between May and June of this year of 0.7%.
Commenting on the release, senior statistician in the agriculture division Sam Scriven said: “The output price indices for cattle (+43.6%), milk (+11.9%), and eggs (+4.2%) all rose over the 12 months to June 2025.”
Eggs have also risen within the agricultural output index on an annual basis. However, there was no difference in monthly figures, with egg figures staying static since November 2024.
Wool has also experienced an increase in annual change, with an increase of 31.9% with prices only rising in May of this year after remaining static since May 2023, according to CSO records.
Potatoes saw the most significant decrease in percentage change in the last 12 months, recording a drop of 15.7%. The only other drop in the agricultural output index was also experienced in crop output and was a drop of 0.2% in cereals (including seeds) in annual change.
Both these drops resulted in an annual percentage change with a reduction of 4.3% across the entire crop output figure.
In the 12 months to June 2025, the Agricultural Input Price Index rose slightly by 0.6% but fell by 0.2% in the month to June.
Over the 12 months to June 2025, the most significant increase in input prices was recorded for fertiliser with an increase of 10.5%.
All forms of fertilisers have displayed an increase in annual percentage change. "Straight fertilisers" increased by 15.1%, compound fertilisers rose by 9.5%, with "NPK" fertilisers increasing by 9.9% and NP and PK fertilisers increasing by 4.2%.
Fertilisers falling into the "other" category rose by 1% in annual change for the input price index.
The other significant increase seen in the 12 months to June 2025 was veterinary expenses, which rose by 4.7%. The input price figure increased in January of this year and has remained static since, resulting in no monthly percentage change.
The most significant drops in the input price index were the decline of 7% in poultry feed and motor fuels, which experienced an annual drop of 6.2% in annual percentage change.
Terms of trade fell by 0.7% in June 2025 when compared with the previous month, and were 18.2% higher when compared with June 2024.
