Producer prices for food products increase in year to April - CSO
Producer prices for food products increased by 1% in the 12 months to April 2026, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The Wholesale Price Index for April 2026, shows producer prices for meat and meat products were down 2.2% compared with April 2025, while dairy products were down 0.6%. in the year.
The CSO said one of the most notable changes in producer prices for food products over the 12 months to April 2026 was in fish and fish products which rose by 8.6%.
Prices
The data also shows wholesale electricity prices rose by 1.9% in the month to April 2026 and were 18% higher than April 2025.
However, the prices have fallen by 66.2% when compared with the peak that occurred in August 2022.
Producer prices for all energy fuels were up by 32.6% in April 2026 compared with March 2026, and up 42.3% on April 2025 levels.
The monthly increase was largely driven by increases in fuel oil (+50.1%) and gas oil, other than autodiesel which rose by 16.9%.
The CSO said fuel oil prices are at their highest recorded value since this data series started in 2021.
Gas oil (other than autodiesel) prices are at their highest since July 2022.
Wholesale prices for construction products increased by 0.4% in the month to April 2026 and rose by 2% in the 12 months since April 2025.
CSO
Commenting on the data, Deirdre Toher, statistician in the CSO Prices Division, said: "Wholesale price inflation showed an increase in April 2026 with a 0.2% growth in the overall producer price index for manufacturing industries in the month".
"The price index for export sales was up by 0.2% since March 2026, while the index for home sales was down by 0.2% in the month.
"Producer prices for products sold on the domestic market were 3.4% higher in April 2026 compared with April 2025.
"In the 12 months to April 2026, export producer prices rose by 1.2%, while overall producer prices were up by 1.4%," she added.
Modest growth
According to Simon MacAllister, partner at EY Ireland the latest CSO Wholesale Price Index figures points to a "two‑speed dynamic in producer prices".
He highlighted that wholesale prices for all energy fuels rose 32% month on month and by over 42% in the 12 months to April 2026, "underscoring the continued impact of geopolitical disruption on global energy and commodity flows".
MacAllister added: "Even in the event of a full reopening of the Strait, these pressures are unlikely to ease in the near term given the time required for supply chains to normalise, production to restart, and inventories to rebuild
"Limited substitution across key products, including petrochemicals and fertilisers, alongside ongoing supply chain adjustments, continues to place upward pressure on input costs which we expect to see factored into wider prices in the coming months.
"While wholesale electricity prices were 18% higher than April 2025, they remain around 66% below their August 2022 peak following the Russian invasion of Ukraine".
