The Central Statistics Office has reported a significant recovery in agricultural incomes at a national level in 2024 after the previous year's poor results.
The CSO said the value of Agricultural Output at basic prices grew by €1 billion, or 9%, last year as a result of higher prices and some increases in output volumes.
Milk prices, while still 15% lower than their 2022 levels, were up 17% on 2023.
Today's figures show the other large movers in terms of prices were sheep, with prices up 18%, while the price of potatoes rose by 8% and fresh vegetables prices increased by 9%.
Output volumes also saw some considerable movement, the CSO said, with both poultry and cereal volumes increasing by 10%, while pig volumes grew by 8% and potato volumes rose by 12%.
Meanwhile, total intermediate consumption costs were down by €290m - a fall of 4%. Fertilisers accounted for €216m of this reduction and feeding stuffs a further €148m.
Today's CSO figures also show that the Midland region (Laois, Longford, Offaly, and Westmeath), which is the second smallest agricultural producing region by output value, saw the value of its Agricultural Output increase by 11% and its Entrepreneurial Income soar by 111% last year.
The CSO noted that the Border region (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, and Sligo) had the largest increase in milk last year with values up 26%. The value of its Agricultural Output at Basic Prices grew 12% and its Entrepreneurial Income increased jumped by 91% to €527m.
The West (Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon), the smallest agricultural producing region by output value, saw its Entrepreneurial Income increase by 32% - the lowest growth rate of all regions in 2024.
The Mid-West (Clare, Limerick, and Tipperary) was the largest producer of cattle and the second largest producer of milk in 2024. Its Entrepreneurial Income grew by 66% with milk the main contributor to this increase.
The South-West (Cork and Kerry), the largest milk producing region in the country, saw the value of its Agricultural Output at Basic Prices grow by 10% and its Entrepreneurial Income rise by 67% last year.
Meanwhile, the Dublin & Mid-East region (Dublin, Kildare, Louth, Meath, and Wicklow) was the country's biggest producer of crops in 2024. The value of its Agricultural Output increased by 8% and its Entrepreneurial Income was up 88%.
The South-East (Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, and Wexford) was the second largest producer of crops in the State. Its Intermediate Consumption costs were down 8% while its Entrepreneurial Income was up 85% in 2024.
