With many agricultural outputs, particularly milk and cereals, experiencing large price increases, the value of Agricultural Output at Basic Prices grew by 28%, or by €2.8bn, to €12.9bn in 2022.
With prices up by 47% and a minor (+1%) increase in production volumes, the value of Milk rose by 48% (+€1.6bn) to €5.0bn.
The value of Livestock grew by 14% (+€550m) to €4.5bn in 2022. With stronger prices (+18%), Cattle accounted for the majority (€446m) of this growth and contributed €3.0bn to the value of Agricultural Output.
Crop values rose by 23% (+€484m) to €2.6bn. With both prices and volumes rising by 52% and 5% respectively, Cereal values increased by 60% (+€260m) to €695m.
Intermediate Consumption costs grew by 29% (+€1.8bn) to €7.9bn in 2022. While the average price of these inputs rose by 28%, the price of fertilisers, feeding stuffs, and energy & lubricants were particularly impacted by inflation.
The price of Feeding Stuffs, which accounted for over a quarter (29%) of all Intermediate Consumption costs, increased by 29%, and with volumes up by 1%, the cost of feeding farm animals grew by 30% (+€535m) to €2.3bn.
While the volume used on Irish farms fell by 16%, with Fertiliser prices experiencing the largest increase of all inputs (+137%), their cost doubled to €1.2bn.
Agricultural Operating Surplus increased by 28% (+€1.0bn) to €4.7bn in 2022.
This release updates the Preliminary Estimate of Output, Input and Income in Agriculture published by the CSO in March 2023.
Table 1.1 presents analysis of Selected Income Indicators for Agriculture from 2020 to 2022. Figure 1.1 shows trends in Selected Income Indicators for Agriculture from 2020 to 2022.
| Table 1.1: Output, Input and Income in Agriculture, 2022 | ||||||
| € million | Annual Change (%) | |||||
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | ||
| Goods Output | 8,376 | 9,605 | 12,285 | 14.7 | 27.9 | |
| Intermediate Consumption | 5,625 | 6,143 | 7,919 | 9.2 | 28.9 | |
| Net Subsidies | 1,762 | 1,716 | 1,938 | -2.6 | 12.9 | |
| Operating Surplus | 3,152 | 3,678 | 4,720 | 16.7 | 28.3 | |
| X-axis label | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods Output | 8.376 | 9.605 | 12.285 |
| Intermediate Consumption | 5.625 | 6.143 | 7.919 |
| Net Subsidies | 1.762 | 1.716 | 1.938 |
| Operating Surplus | 3.152 | 3.678 | 4.72 |
The CSO’s final estimate of agricultural Operating Surplus for 2022 shows an annual increase of €1.0bn (+28%) to €4.7bn. The value of Agricultural Output at Basic Prices rose by €2.8bn (+28%) to €12.9bn. Similar to what happened in 2021, Milk was the main driver of this growth, accounting for €1.6bn (58%) of the increase. Intermediate Consumption costs rose by €1.8bn (+29%) to €7.9bn (See Table 1.2).
Despite a marginal reduction in output volumes (-1%), higher prices (+18%) led to the value of Cattle production increasing by €446m (+17%) to €3.0bn.
There was a minor contraction in Pig volumes, which fell by 2%, but with stronger prices, the value of Pig production was up by €65m (+12%) to €620m.
The volume of Sheep production increased by 1% while prices were up by 2%, resulting in the value of Sheep output rising by €10m (+3%) to €377m in 2022.
Higher Poultry prices offset the impact of slightly lower volumes (-1%), and as a result, the value of Poultry grew by €17m (+9%) to €204m.
Milk prices continued to rise in 2022, up 47%, and with a slight expansion in output volumes, the value of Milk production grew by €1.6bn (+48%) to €5.0bn.
The overall value of Crops increased by €484m (+23%) to €2.6bn, with prices accounting for 21% of this increase. The area planted with Cereals rose by 4%, output volumes were up by 5% and prices grew by 52%. As a result, the value of Cereal production grew by €260m to €695m in 2022. While the price of Potatoes increased by 6%, with the area sown down 5% and yields also contracting, the value of Potatoes fell by €12m (-7%) to €163m.
Intermediate Consumption costs rose by €1.8bn (+29%) to €7.9bn, mainly due to the price of these inputs increasing by an average of 28%. The items showing the largest price increases, namely fertilisers, energy & lubricants, and feeding stuffs, where those inputs that were most affected by the invasion of Ukraine.
The price of Feeding Stuffs grew by 29% in 2022. When these price increases are combined with a 1% rise in the volumes consumed on Irish farms, the net impact was that the cost of Feeding Stuffs was up by €535m to €2.3bn.
Despite farmers reducing the volume of Fertilisers used on Irish farms by 16%, with prices up by 137%, the cost of Fertilisers doubled to €1.2bn.
The cost of Energy & Lubricants rose by €173m (+37%) to €634m due to prices rising by 42%.
Expenditure on Maintenance & Repairs increased by €56m to €603m due to price and volume increases of 4% and 6% respectively.
The net impact of Agricultural Output at Basic Prices growing by €2.8bn, Intermediate Consumption costs rising by €1.8bn, Other Subsidies less Taxes on Production increasing by €224m and Compensation of Employees costs growing by €69m is that Operating Surplus was up by €1.0bn (+28%) to €4.7bn in 2022.
Learn about our data and confidentiality safeguards, and the steps we take to produce statistics that can be trusted by all.
Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (30 June 2023) released Output, Input and Income Agriculture – Final Estimate 2022.
Commenting on the release, Mairead Griffin, Statistician in the Agriculture Accounts & Production Section, said: “This release is our final estimate of the value of agricultural outputs, inputs, and income for 2022. This final estimate is slightly more favourable than our previous estimate which we published last March. While Intermediate Consumption costs are now calculated to be 3% or €208m higher than previously estimated, the value of Agricultural Output at Basic Prices was also 3% or €317m higher. Our final estimate for 2022 is that the value of Agricultural Output at Basic Prices grew to €12.9bn, an annual rise of 28%, while Intermediate Consumption costs increased by 29% or €1.8bn to €7.9bn.
Outputs
Except for crops, there were very few significant amendments made to our previous estimate of the value of agricultural outputs. The value of Livestock remains at €4.5bn, a rise of 14% on 2021. The value of Livestock Products, at €5.1bn, is now estimated to be €1.6bn or 47% higher than 2021. This was primarily due to a 47% increase in Milk prices.
In total, Crop values rose by €484m in 2022 to €2.6bn. With prices estimated to have risen by 52%, our estimated value of Cereals is now €695m, up 60% on 2021.
Input costs
As has already been well highlighted, one of the major impacts of the invasion of Ukraine on Irish agriculture was the large increase in input costs. Intermediate Consumption costs rose by €1.8bn to €7.9bn, an increase of 29%. The price of Fertilisers soared by 137%, resulting in farmers spending €1.2bn on these items, double what they spent in 2021, despite a fall in volume of 16% over the same period. The cost of feeding animals also rose sharply, with Feeding Stuffs costing an additional €535m in 2022 and accounting for €2.3bn of farm expenditure. With prices rising by 42%, the cost of Energy & Lubricants was €634m, an increase of 37% on 2021.
We now estimate that Operating Surplus grew by €1.0bn to €4.7bn in 2022, an increase of 28%.”