Consumers losing out due to significant rise in cost of farming

Agricultural output prices, often seen as a proxy for food prices, rose by 14.1 per cent on an annual basis in October, but costs for farmers rose by an even greater margin, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The CSO data presents estimates of agricultural output and input price indices. The indices monitor trends in prices paid to farmers for their produce and in prices paid by farmers for purchases of goods and services.

The agricultural output price indices are intended to measure trends in the price of agricultural produce sold by farmers. It increased by 0.5 per cent in October, and by 14.1 per cent year-on-year.

On the other hand, costs for farmers also rose. The agricultural input price index increased by 3.7 per cent in October compared with September, and by 15.7 per cent year-on-year.

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A further year-on-year comparison of the October output sub-indices shows that the prices for cereals and sheep increased by 34 per cent and 21.4 per cent respectively.

Fertilisers

On the input side, the October sub-indices show that fertilisers and motor fuels were up 52 per cent and 36.4 per cent respectively year-on-year.

The rising cost of fuel led to a protest by truckers and hauliers at Dublin Port on Monday. Farmers were among those who had been urged to join the demonstration.

There were serious delays on Dublin roads all day due to the protest as members of the Irish Truckers & Haulage Association Against Fuel Prices gathered close to the port to protest, causing the south bore of the Dublin Port Tunnel to be closed on Monday afternoon.

The hauliers have demanded a 16 cent reduction in the price of a litre of diesel, and claimed they will not be able to break even unless their demands are met.

There was a major crisis two years ago as groups of beef farmers blockaded food producers all over the State in protest over payments made to farmers for their produce at factory gates.