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Farming input costs - in terms of fertiliser and feed - increased again in August 2019, while output from farms dropped for the month compared with last year.
The cost of fertiliser was up by 4.3%, while animal feed also increased in price by 1.3%.
Overall farm output figures in August from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) dipped by 3.4% compared with the same month in 2018, with the beef protests impacting on the figures, which saw cattle being held back from going to factories.
Cattle output was down 4% in August on the same month in 2018.
Pigs
However, there is one sector that stands out as the most profitable, with pig output figures showing a 24.1% increase and prices continuing to rise.
Last week, pig prices increased by 4c to average 184c/kg. They continue to increase as African swine fever still poses a threat to China’s pig industry and there is more demand for pork in the Asian country.
Wool saw a significant decrease in the month of August, with a drop of 17.9% in prices since 2018.
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