Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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247. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he and his Department continue to monitor the cost of farm inputs, including fuel and fertilisers, with a view to identifying the best way to meet the challenges of issues arising therefrom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8616/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department constantly monitors key economic indicators in the agri-food sector, with a particular focus on changes in farm input costs, as well as developments in farm incomes, viability, structures, key commodities and food industry trends.

The CSO has just released its Agricultural Price Indices for December and the Year 2023. The indices track trends in prices paid to farmers for their produce and in prices paid by farmers for purchases of goods and services. The key findings were:

• The Agricultural Output Price Index was down 8.2% in 2023 when compared with 2022. The Agricultural Input Price Index fell by 5.5% over the same period.
• The Output price indices show milk and sheep prices were down 27.5% and 1.7% respectively in 2023 when compared with 2022, while pigs and potatoes both rose by 19.1%, eggs were up 15.1%, and cattle by 3.4%.
• Annual Input price indices decreases were recorded in fertiliser (-31.0%) and energy (-3.5%) in 2023 when compared with 2022, while the most notable annual increases were in plant protection products (+8.8%), seeds (+7.0%), and veterinary expenses (+6.1%).
• The annual terms of trade fell 2.9% when compared with 2022.
• Over the 12 months to December 2023, there were significant reductions in the Input prices recorded for fertiliser (-47.6%), feed (-13.9%), and energy (-5.8%).
• The most significant output price decreases in the 12 months to December 2023 were in milk (-39.0%), cereals (-31.6%), and poultry (-7.6%), while increases were recorded in potatoes (+78.6%) and vegetables (+23.0%).