Teagasc has confirmed the performance levels achieved on Irish grain farms in 2024, based on data from the National Farm Survey (NFS).

The 2024 tillage performance figures coincide with the confirmation that 2025 grain prices are down €20/t year-on-year.

The 2024 NFS recorded data from around 88,000 farms in Ireland.

The analysis focuses specifically on the two main cereal production systems implemented in Ireland: spring barley and winter wheat.

The areas of these cereal crops accounted for in the Teagasc analysis were 80,392ha in the case of spring barley and 34,132ha where winter wheat is concerned.

In general, the yields per hectare achieved in 2024 were mixed in comparison to 2023. Based on the NFS enterprise results, cereal yields for spring barley were up significantly, by 7%, while winter wheat yields decreased by 7%.

In addition to the change in crop yields, the data also shows volatility in cereal prices between years as well as between crops, with the price received at farm gate up by 7% for spring barley while it was down by 11% for winter wheat.

The combined effect of the aforementioned factors resulted in a large increase in gross output for spring barley and a slight decrease in winter wheat, of +21% and -1% respectively, in 2024 compared to 2023.

Cost of production

Direct costs fell throughout the year, but timing of purchase continued to have an impact on the change in total direct costs on a year-to-year basis, with direct costs decreasing by 10% for spring barley and 16% for winter wheat in 2024.

Allocated fixed costs decreased for both spring barley and winter wheat by 10%.

Some of the change in the fixed costs is associated with the method in which fixed costs are allocated across enterprises. This allocation across each enterprise is based on the proportion of gross output.

Net margins

Given the changes in output value, direct, and fixed costs, the net margin on spring barley farms in 2024 was €174/ha, up from -€214/ha in 2023.

The net margin for winter wheat in 2024 was €364/ha, up from €67/ha in 2023 (excluding decoupled payments).

Total costs per tonne decreased for both spring barley and winter wheat in 2024, while price per tonne increased for spring barley and decreased for winter wheat.

The decrease in costs, coupled with output value changes, led to an increase in the net margin per tonne for both spring barley and winter wheat.

Variation in financial performance

Significantly, the 2024 NFS figures confirm a wide variation in financial performance within the cereal production sector.

Total costs of production per hectare in the top performing spring barley group were 38% lower than the bottom performing spring barley producers.

Gross output per hectare for the top half of spring barley farms was 25% higher than the bottom half. Overall, this results in over €800/ha difference in net margin between the bottom and top performing spring barley farms.

Moreover, in 2024, 36% of spring barley farms and 13% of winter wheat farms produced a negative net margin. In other words, they made a loss when allocated overhead costs were deducted from gross margins.

At the opposite end of the distribution, 14% of spring barley farms and 37% of winter wheat farms earned a net margin of €750 or more in 2024.

Technical performance

According to the Teagasc figures, technical performance outcome was mixed in 2024 relative to 2023. However, it is important to remember that these partial productivity indictors do not take cereal price and straw receipts into account.

In addition, various Teagasc strategy documents have outlined a number of farm performance indicators for tillage crops for the year 2027.