The proportion of dairy calves sired by beef bulls increased significantly in 2025, a new Teagasc report has found.

Some 63% of dairy calves born in 2025 were registered to a beef sire in 2025, up from 57% in 2024.

In 2020, just 47% of dairy calf births were registered to a beef bull.

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Teagasc has put the increase down to greater use of sexed semen in dairy herds. There were 400,000 sexed semen straws and 700,000 dairy beef straws used in 2025, the report highlights.

The proportion of prime beef cattle originating from the dairy herd also continued its upward trend in 2025 and now accounts for 62% of prime cattle slaughterings.

The report focused on the achievements in 2025 and was entitled 'Progress with innovation, sustainability and technical performance in the agrifood sector'.

Launching the report on Tuesday, Teagasc director Frank O'Meara noted how good 2025 was for grass growth.

Grass production increased by 12% to an average of 13.2 tonnes of dry matter per hectare (t DM/ha) in 2025 as measured by farmers in Pasture Base Ireland. The corresponding figure was 11.8t DM/ha in 2024.

Growing conditions and good weather at sowing and harvesting also led to good crop yields, but falls in prices compared with 2024 led to disappointing incomes on tillage farms.

There were also some improvements in soil fertility across soil samples analysed through Teagasc, which contribute to improved productivity.

Dairy

Milk production increased by 5% in 2025, mainly driven by excellent grass growth and grazing conditions, as well as genetic (economic breeding index) improvement, despite dairy cow numbers falling by 1.5%. After rising each year since 2009, cow numbers have now fallen slightly for the last two years.

Increased financial returns from livestock (calves and cull cows) and strong milk prices for most of the year contributed to the rise in dairy farm incomes to an estimated €137,000.

Costs of production in terms of cent/litre remain high and reducing this will be a focus on farms for 2026, given current milk prices, according to Teagasc.

Beef

Incomes increased substantially in 2025 on both suckler and dairy beef farms, marking a significant improvement on previous years. This was driven by much improved prices, but the volume of output from the sector declined.

Prime cattle slaughterings fell by approximately 100,000 head or 8% in 2025. However, this was partially offset by a 5kg increase in average carcase weight.

The average age at slaughter remained unchanged at 26.5 months. Suckler cow numbers continued to decline, with a reduction of 29,000 in suckler calf registrations in 2025 compared with 2024.

Sheep

Family farm income on sheep farms is estimated to have increased significantly in 2025 to €36,500, mainly driven by increased prices for lamb.

There was favourable spring weather and good mid-season grass growth along the western seaboard where most sheep farming is practised. However, ewe numbers fell by 2.8% (2024 data) and throughput of lambs through Irish meat processors decreased significantly by 17% in 2025.

Pigs

The Irish pig sector has shown a strong recovery since the economic crisis of 2022, with the number of pigs produced per sow per year and feed conversion efficiency back to pre-crisis figures.

The focus by farmers, Teagasc and other stakeholders on both efficiency and growth has resulted in the highest ever herd feed conversion figures, with sows producing 2.55t of meat from 8.85t of feed in 2024.

The reduction in pigmeat prices towards the end of 2025 have affected profitability in the sector.

Tillage

2025 saw a recovery in Irish cereal production, driven by increased winter cereal area and notably stronger winter wheat yields. Total cereal output is estimated at 2.23 million tonnes, above the five-year average of 2.10 million tonnes. Total tillage area remained stable in 2025.

Dry weather at crucial times during the season was a significant factor in cereal production recovering in 2025.

However, lower grain prices compared with 2024 meant that income on tillage farms, at €47,200, is estimated to have only modestly improved compared with 2024.

Associated livestock enterprises on tillage farms were largely responsible for this modest increase.

Climate change and water quality

Agricultural greenhouse gas emissions have declined annually since 2022, reaching a cumulative 4.6% reduction in 2024, relative to the 2018 baseline.

Provisional Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates indicate a further 0.6% decrease to the end of Q3 2025. This is mainly driven by lower cattle numbers, which were partly offset by increased nitrogen fertiliser use and a decline in the proportion of nitrogen fertiliser that was applied in protected urea products.

The EPA Water Quality in Ireland 2019-2024 report showed a further slight decline in surface water quality.

However, the report also highlights that in priority areas for action where ASSAP advisers has been working, the mean phosphorus (P) concentrations in rivers are consistently below (ie better quality than) the good status environmental quality standard of 0.035mg/l. Furthermore, P concentrations are on average 22% lower in priority areas for action.