Milk experienced over 27% drop in output price in 12 months, CSO says

The latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) report also shows fertiliser input prices rising by 11.6%

From January 2025 to 2026, milk output price dropped by 27.3%.

In the 12 months to January 2026, the milk outward price dropped the most significantly by 27.3%.

According to the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) report, despite the drop in milk output price from January 2025 to January 2026, the monthly difference between December 2025 and January 2026 increased by 5.7%.

The overall Agricultural Output Price Index for January 2026 rose by 0.9% in the month since December 2025. In the 12 months to January 2026, the Agricultural Output Price Index decreased by 6.6%.

Commenting on the release, Sam Scriven, senior statistician in the Agriculture Division, said: "In January 2026, the Agricultural Output Price Index rose by 0.9% compared with the previous month. Over the same period, the Agricultural Input Price Index rose marginally by 0.5%.” 

Aside from milk, the most significant output price reductions in the 12 months to January 2026 were sheep and pigs, which both dropped by 13.9%. Cattle and poultry output prices were up by 21.7% and 5.3%, respectively.

Wool and eggs output pricing has remained static since May of last year and saw no monthly percentage change. The annual percentage change saw an increase of 31.9% for wool and 0.5% for eggs.

Potatoes saw the most dramatic change in the annual percentage change in the output price index, dropping by 24.7%. Industrial and forage saw a drop of 6.3%, cereals dropped by 7.5% in annual percentage change. 

Vegetables were the only crop group to experience a positive uptick in output price in the 12 months to January 2026 at 0.4%.

The annual Agricultural Input Price index rose by 2.1%. Over the 12 months to January 2026, increases in Input Prices were recorded for fertilisers, which increased the most by 11.6%, veterinary expenses, which also increased at 7.1%, and electricity, which was up 4.6%.

Terms of Trade rose by 0.4% in January 2026 when compared with the previous month, but dropped by 8.5% when compared with January 2025.