Teagasc’s outlook for 2025 gives positive indications for suckler, sheep and cattle finisher incomes, all of which are expected to be up this year – with a further boost forecast next year.Average suckler farm incomes are forecast to rise 28% this year to €9,500 and to €10,800 next year, as costs decline slightly as weanling prices improve.
Teagasc’s outlook for 2025 gives positive indications for suckler, sheep and cattle finisher incomes, all of which are expected to be up this year – with a further boost forecast next year.
Average suckler farm incomes are forecast to rise 28% this year to €9,500 and to €10,800 next year, as costs decline slightly as weanling prices improve.
Fertiliser is expected to drop 5% in price into next year and while concentrate costs are anticipated to remain largely stable, a return to more typical weather could see usage drive an overall cost decline.
Similar positive movement is forecast for cattle finishers, who are expected to end 2024 with an average income of €17,000 – 15% higher than 2023’s figure – increasing to €18,500 next year.
The supplies of prime cattle coming on stream are expected to be back 4% here and 1% in both the UK and the EU.
Teagasc’s number crunching anticipates that this tightness will see a beef price boost of 4% over the year, to take the beef price of an R3 steer to an average of €5.60/kg. It is anticipated that lamb prices are to remain largely in-line with 2024, which were up an average of 7% on the previous year.
Difficult weather and grass growth saw a 10% drop in lamb carcass output that could be overcome if conditions return to ‘normal’ next year, boosting the value of the lamb the crop, while also reducing meal costs.
An average income of €15,000 is expected for sheep farmers this year, increasing to €17,250 in 2025.
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