Analysis of the Teagasc eProfit monitor results across the 31 farmers in the Teagasc/Irish Farmers Journal BETTER farm programme has shown the group average to have risen to €1,030 in 2015.

The average is up €193/ha or 23% on 2014 levels. Increased output, good grazing conditions in the south and east and improved beef prices have been the drivers of the increase.

Output per hectare increased by 10.3% or 78kg/ha to 835kg/ha. In the same period, output value across the farms increased by 12%, from €1,708/ha in 2014 to €1,914/ha in 2015.

Variable costs across the group increased by 2%, to €884/ha.

Finishing systems continued to be the best performing in 2015, with seven out of the top 10 gross margins arising from finishing systems.

The highest gross margin in the programme was €1,856/ha, which was generated in a suckler to finishing system, where bulls were finished under 16 months at an average carcase weight of 420kg, heifers were finished at 18 months at a carcase weight of 328kg on average, and cull cows had an average carcase weight of 383kg.

The lowest gross margins as a group of €715/ha were recorded on suckler to weanling systems, with lower output and weather having the greatest impact on the gross margins.