Northern Ireland agricultural incomes in 2024
DAERA has published the first (provisional) estimate for farm incomes in 2024. Revisions have been made to previous years.
Aggregate Agricultural Income
Provisional figures indicate that the ‘Total Income from Farming’ (TIFF) in Northern Ireland increased by 62.5% (56.2% in real terms) from £471million in 2023 to £766million in 2024.
TIFF represents the return on own labour, management input and own capital invested for all those with an entrepreneurial involvement in farming. It represents farm income measured at the sector level.
Total Gross Output for agriculture in Northern Ireland was 8% higher at £3.19billion in 2024. There was a 9% increase in the value of output from the livestock sector, while field crops increased by 3% and horticulture increased by 10%. These figures are for the calendar year and therefore they represent the outturn across two harvest years.
Dairying remains the largest contributor to the total value of Gross Output at £1.1billion in 2024; an increase of 21% between 2023 and 2024. The annual average farm-gate milk price increased by 17% to 41.0 pence per litre while the volume of raw milk produced in Northern Ireland increased by 4% to 2.6 billion litres.
Output from cattle
The output value of cattle was 4% higher at £658million in 2024. The total number of animals slaughtered increased by 8.3% in 2024, whereas the average carcase weights for clean and cull animals were both 0.3% lower. These changes resulted in the volume of meat produced being 8.2% higher in 2024. The average producer price for finished clean cattle was £4.78 per kilogram in 2024 while the average producer price for cull animals was £3.17 per kilogram. The prices for finished clean cattle were 4% higher while cull cattle prices were 2% lower than their 2023 averages. In addition to these changes, there was also a stock change of minus £36 million due to a reduction in the number of cattle on ground between 2023 and 2024.
Output from sheep
The value of output from sheep increased by 8% to £123million in 2024. The total number of sheep slaughtered decreased by 9% in 2024 whereas the average carcass weight increased by 1% to 22 kilograms. Volume of sheep meat produced decreased by 8% in 2024. The average producer price increased by 16% to £6.39 per kg.
Output from poultry
The value of output in the poultry sector decreased by 7% to £356million in 2024 while the egg sector increased by 16% to £264million. The value of the pig sector also decreased by 1% to £295million. All intensive sectors recorded an increase in production volumes, with poultry up by 3%, eggs up by 7%, and pigs up 1% compared with the previous year. Producer prices in the poultry and pig sectors decreased by 10% and 3% respectively, whereas, the producer price for eggs increased by 8%.
The estimated value of the 2024 direct payments (Basic Payment Scheme, Young Farmers’ and Beef Carbon Reduction Scheme Payments) was £304million, representing an increase of 1%, when compared with the 2023 payments.
The total value of Gross Inputs decreased by 3% in 2024, to £2.09billion. Feedstuffs costs, which accounted for 57% of the total Gross Input estimate, decreased by 4% to £1.18billion in 2024. There was a 7% increase in the volume of feedstuffs purchased and a 12% decrease in the average price paid per tonne.
The total cost of fertilisers in 2024 decreased by 11% with a 21% increase in the volume purchased and a 27% decrease in the average price paid per tonne. There was also a 16% rise in the value of total lime purchases, with the result that total expenditure on fertilisers and lime decreased by 10% to £101million.
