Agricultural input price index rose 0.5% in month to February
Over the 12 months to February, increases in input prices were recorded for fertilisers (+11%), veterinary expenses (+7.1%), and electricity (+4.6%).
In the month from January to February 2026, the agricultural input price index rose by 0.5%.
According to the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) report, the output price index fell by 0.1% in the same time period.
Sam Scriven, senior statistician in the CSO's agriculture division said: “Compared with February 2025, the output price index decreased by 9.4%, while the input price index rose by 1.9%.”
The most significant drops in the output price in the 12 months to February were milk, pigs, and sheep, which reduced by 27%, 14.7% and 14.6% respectively.
Despite milk output price dropping 27% in the year, it rose by 0.6% in the month from January to February.
The most significant increases in the 12 months to February for output prices were cattle, up by 11.2%, and poultry, which rose by 5.3%.
Crop output prices dropped in the year to February, with cereals, industrial and forage, and potatoes (including seeds) dropping by 7.5%, 6.3% and 26.1%, respectively. Vegetables were the only crop output that experienced an uptick of 2.5% in the same period.
Eggs and wool output prices have both remained static on a monthly basis from May 2025, with an annual percentage change of +0.2% in eggs and an increase of 31.9% for wool.
Over the 12 months to February, increases in input prices were recorded for fertilisers (+11%), veterinary expenses (+7.1%), and electricity (+4.6%).
Most fertilisers experienced an increase in input price in monthly and annual percentage changes. Straight fertilisers increased by 2.1% in the month to February, an annual increase of 13.5%. ‘Other fertilisers’ remained static in both month and annual percentage change.
Compound fertilisers increased by 2.3% in monthly change and 10.9% in the annual percentage change. Breaking that down further, NP fertiliser, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and PK, phosphorus and potassium (K) fertilisers, increased by 0.7% in the monthly percentage change and an increase of 4.9% in the annual change.
NPK fertilisers increased by 2.4% in the month from January to February, and increased by 11.4% in the 12 months to February 2026.
Terms of trade fell by 0.7% in February when compared with January, and was 11.1% lower when compared with February 2025.
