The agricultural input price index has increased by 35.1% last year, while the output price index rose by 26.7%, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Fertiliser prices were up by 122.9% in 2022 when compared with the previous year, followed by increases in the cost of energy (+42.3%) and feeding stuffs (+29.5%).
However, output prices for milk, cereals and cattle were 44,5%; 40.6; and 17.2% higher respectively last year than in 2021, CSO figures published today (Tuesday, February 14) show.
The annual terms of trade fell by 6.2% in 2022, while in December the monthly terms of trade rose by 7.2% when compared with November last year.
Output prices had been relatively stable since the middle of 2022 but rose again by 6.3% in December when compared to November 2022, while the input price index was down by 0.9%.
Energy (-9.2%) and fertiliser prices (-0.8%) declined in December, while the cost of feeding stuffs rose (+1.2%). In terms of output prices, cattle (+6.7%) and milk prices (+10.1%) were up, while crop output prices fell (-1.7%).
Comparing December 2022 with December 2021, the agricultural input price index was up 27.6% while the output price index was up 30.2%, resulting in an increase of 2.0% in the annual terms of trade.
CSO livestock survey
Cattle numbers fell by 97,500 (-1.5%) to 6,551,800 in December, while the number of dairy cows rose slightly to 1.51 million (+0.3%). Other cow numbers dropped by 27,900 (-3.1%) when compared to December 2021.
The total number of cattle aged between one and two years grew by 34,500 (+2.0%), while cattle aged two years and over (excluding cows and bulls) rose by 5,200 (+1.6%). Male cattle numbers under one year dropped by 81,700 (-8.1%).
CSO figures show that pig numbers fell by 8.4% to 1,570,400, its lowest level since 2016. Falling by 12.6%, the number of breeding pigs in the country (127,500) is now at its lowest level since December 1988.
The number of non-breeding pigs dropped by 8.0% with the largest decline in the “non-breeding pigs less than 20kg” category (-63,800), the CSO livestock survey for December 2022 states.
Sheep numbers rose by 2,800 (+0.1%) to 4,029,100 compared to December 2021, according to provisional estimates. The number of breeding sheep fell by 43,500 (-1.6%) while the number of other sheep rose by 46,300 (+3.7%).