Significant Decline in Milk Prices Amidst Varied Agricultural Trends

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) reported a substantial decrease in milk prices, which fell by 23.1% over the year to April 2026. This decline was part of a broader trend in agricultural outputs, where the price index dropped by 14.6% during the same period. In contrast, the agricultural input price index experienced a rise, increasing by 8.1%.

During April 2026, the input price index saw a month-on-month increase of 2.4%, driven largely by higher costs in motor fuels, which rose by 5.4%, and fertilisers, which increased by 6.2%. The output price index also experienced a minor rise of 0.5% from March 2026.

Among agricultural outputs, milk experienced the most significant price reduction, followed by pigs and cattle, which saw decreases of 16.4% and 10.9% respectively. Conversely, poultry and sheep prices increased by 5.6% and 4.5% respectively over the same period.

According to Cian O'Riordan, a statistician in the CSO's agriculture division, motor fuels and fertilisers showed the largest changes in input prices over the year, with increases of 43.3% and 21.2% respectively. The terms of trade also fell by 1.8% in April 2026 compared to March and were 21.1% lower compared to April 2025.

On the production side, domestic milk intake by processors and co-ops decreased by 37.1 million litres in April 2026 compared to the previous year, totaling 1.037 billion litres, a 3.5% decrease. However, this figure was 85.4 million litres higher than the intake in April 2024, reflecting a 9% increase over two years.