Cattle, sheep and milk prices all increased significantly in the year to January 2025, according to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The CSO has today (Friday, March 14) published the agricultural price indices report for January 2025.

In the 12 months to January 2025, the agricultural output price index rose by 20%, while the agricultural input price index dropped by 4%.

The agricultural output price index for January 2025 was up by 3% in the month since December 2024, while the input price index rose by 1% in a month.

The data shows that the most significant output price increases in the 12 months to January 2025 were in milk (34%), sheep (32%), and cattle (17%).

The price of calves rose by 18% when compared to January 2024, pig prices were up 5%, poultry increased by 3% and eggs by 3%.

However, decreases were recorded in prices for potatoes (-4%) and vegetables (-1%).

In the year to January 2025, there were notable reductions in the input prices recorded for electricity (-8%), feed (-7%), and fertilisers (-7%).

The report shows that the price of plant protection products increased by 4.8% and veterinary expenses rose by 4.7% over the period.

The CSO said that the terms of trade - a measure of a country's export prices relative to its import prices - rose by 2% in January 2025 when compared with the previous month and was 25% higher on January 2024.