Irish agriculture had a better year financially in 2025 - compared to 12 months earlier, according to new figures today (Friday, July 31).

A key reason for this was because cattle prices increased dramatically according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

In its Output, Input and Income in Agriculture - Final Estimate 2025 report the CSO highlighted that the total value of Ireland’s agricultural output in 2025 increased by €1.4 billion (+12%) to €14 billion

The CSO outlined that the main driver of the higher value of agricultural outputs was cattle.

While cattle volumes were down 5%, prices were up 43%, resulting in their value increasing by €1.1 billion to €4.2 billion.

According to the CSO, milk, one of the divers of the overall value of agricultural output, saw its value increase by €316 million to €4.5 billion due to both higher prices (+3%) and volumes (+4%) in 2025. However, this was still 10% below its 2022 value.

The agricultural sector spent €8.0 billion on the goods and services used in the production process (i.e. intermediate consumption costs), an increase of 5% on 2024. 

The difference between the value of Ireland’s agricultural output and the cost of the goods and services used in the production process, gross value added, was €5.9 billion in 2025, a 22% increase on 2024.

Gross value added

When comparing the above costs with the gross value added, for every €1 spent on the cost of goods and services used in the production process, Ireland’s agricultural sector created added value of €0.73 in 2025. 

When the value of fixed capital consumption, other subsidies less taxes on production, and compensation of employee costs are subtracted from the value of gross value added, the value of agricultural operating surplus increased by 23% (+€985 million) to €5.3 billion in 2025.

This was the first year that operating surplus exceeded its 2022 value.

Entrepreneurial income, which accounts for the cost of net interest payments and land rental, was €4.6 billion in 2025, up 31% (+€1.1 billion) from 2024.

Livestock

The value of livestock grew by 25% (+€1.2 billion) to €5.9 billion in 2025.

This increase was mainly attributable to higher cattle prices - cattle accounted for 30% of the total value of agricultural output in 2025. 

Sheep prices increased by 7%, but with volumes falling by 5%, their overall value grew by €7 million to €394 million.

Pigs were the only category of livestock that experienced a drop in value. With their prices down 5% and volumes up 2%, their value fell by €17 million to €693 million.

The overall value of crop production fell by 3% (-€87 million) from 2024 to 2025. Forage plants were down €62m (-4%) due to weaker prices (-6%).

Potatoes

The other main contributors to the fall in crop values were potatoes and cereals.

The volume of potatoes produced increased by 8%, but with a 24% drop in prices, their value fell by €46 million to €218 million.

Cereal prices fell by an average of 14% but higher volumes resulted in their value decreasing by just 1% (-€4 million) to €377 million. As with milk, cereal values were still below their 2022 values, with barley 50% lower, wheat down 47% and oats reduced by 33%.

Fertiliser prices

An analysis of the annual change in intermediate consumption costs shows that they grew by €380 million (+5%) to €8.0 billion.

This increase was mainly the result of higher expenditure on fertilisers, and maintenance and repairs, both of which accounted for 9% each of total intermediate consumption costs.

With fertiliser prices up 5% and volumes increasing by 16%, their cost rose by €13 2 million to €733 million. Expenditure on maintenance and repairs increased by €107 million (+17%) to €727 million for the year.

Subsidies

The value of agricultural output at basic prices increased by €1.4 billion in 2025; intermediate consumption costs rose by €380 million, fixed capital consumption grew by €8 million, other subsidies less taxes on production were up by €25 million, and compensation of employees costs rose by €95 million.

Combined, these resulted in an increase of €985 million (+23%) in the value of operating surplus, bringing it to €5.3 billion.

With net interest charges decreasing by €34 million and land rental costs falling by €63 million, entrepreneurial income rose by €1.1 billion (+31%) to €4.6 billion in 2025.

Subsidies continued to make up a significant proportion of agricultural incomes in 2025.

The combined value of net subsides (i.e. subsidies less taxes) on both products and production increased by €45 million to €2.0 billion.

This €2.0 billion accounted for 39% of operating surplus and 45% of entrepreneurial income, down from 47% and 57% respectively in 2024.