Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Volume levels are quite stable. We have seen a significant increase in value from 2021 to 2022. We set a record for agrifood exports last year, which were worth €19 billion, which from memory was up from €16 billion the year before so it was a significant increase. We had inflation across different categories and some of that will be factored in, but we were also building value during this time. That was against the backdrop of largely stable volume across beef, dairy, all our key main projects and seafood.

We saw significant expansion in the dairy sector after the removal of milk quotas in 2014. Much of that is built into the system. We have seen a stabilisation regarding animal numbers and output. This year, we will see a bit of a drop-off in milk supply because of the weather we had over the year, particularly in recent months with challenging weather conditions and poorer prices throughout October and particularly November. We saw earlier drying off of animals than we would have seen previously, so we will probably see a bit of a drop. That is weather-related.

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