The overall agricultural operating surplus for 2025 was up 29% on 2024, mainly due to higher cattle prices, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has said.

According to the preliminary 2025 figures from the CSO, the agricultural operating surplus for 2025 was around €5.5 billion, an increase of €1.2 billion on the 2024 figure.

The value of agricultural output at basic prices rose by 12%, or €1.5 billion, to €14 billion in 2025, driven largely by the 43% increase in cattle prices.

Milk contributed an additional 10% to the value of agricultural output, bringing its value to €4.5 billion (up €402 million).

The current estimates for the value of crops fell by 4% (down €103 million), reflecting value of €2.7 billion, with lower prices for crops being the main cause of the drop.

However, the CSO noted that final area, yield and price figures for 2025 are not yet finalised for most crops.

The estimates show that the value of cereals fell by 3% to €368 million (a decrease of €13 million), due to prices falling by 12%.

The price of forage plants was down by 3%, and their value decreased by 2% to €1.6 billion, a fall of €37 million.

The value of cattle increased to €4.2 billion, an increase of €1.1 billion or 36%, due to the 43% increase in prices which negated lower volume, which was down 5%.

Pig values fell by 2% (a drop of 11 million) to €699 million due to weaker prices, which fell by 5%.

The pig category was the only one among the livestock categories that experienced weaker prices, although this was partially offset by a 3% increase in volume.

With both higher volumes (up 5%) and prices (up 4%), the value of poultry rose by €22 million to €259 million.

The CSO figures show that there was a "minimal" fall of €1 million in sheep output value, as a 7% increase in prices was matched by a similar fall in volume.

Inputs

For inputs (recorded as 'intermediate consumption' in the CSO data, which excludes depreciation and the acquiring of new assets, like machinery), it is currently estimated that these costs grew by 2% in 2025 to €7.9 billion, an increase of €109 million.

Fertiliser accounted for the bulk of this increase, as higher prices (up 5%) and higher volumes (up 16%) saw costs rise by €132 million to €733 million in 2025 compared to 2024.

The cost of feeding stuffs in 2025 is estimated at €2.2 billion, up by €73 million due to the combined impact of higher volumes (which increase by 6%) and lower prices (down 2%)

Expenditure on energy and lubricants is estimated to have decreased by 1% (down €7 million) to €602 million, due to lower prices in 2025.

However, the CSO said that information on the cost of many inputs listed under intermediate consumption is "limited".