The cost of growing carrots has increased by approximately 100% since 2020, while retail carrot prices have increased by just 40% over the same period.
The Irish Carrot Growers Group is warning that the economics of producing Ireland's favourite vegetable are becoming increasingly unsustainable.
The group represents more than 95% of Ireland’s retail carrot supply.
There are just nine commercial growers left in the sector following the recent loss of a major producer that accounted for approximately 12% of national output.
The group is warning that urgent action is needed to ensure the future viability of producing Ireland’s most popular vegetable, as growers are faced with rising production costs, unsustainable market returns and increasing climate-related challenges, including recent drought conditions.
Price
Currently, one kilogramme of carrots retails for about €1.39, with an average kilogramme (kg) containing around 10 carrots, which equates to less than 14c per carrot.
Growers estimate that a retail price of €1.98/kg would be needed to track the cost against the consumer price index (CPI) alone, which equates to approximately 20c per carrot or a modest increase of just 6c per carrot.
However, this doesn’t take into account the exceptional pressures of the current season or the substantial increases in costs that have occurred above general consumer inflation.
These additional costs include significant increases in labour and material inputs, the growing impact of climate change and tighter European restrictions and regulatory requirements.
Drought effects
Growers are experiencing added pressure due to this year being one of the driest summers in recent years.
Drought conditions have increased the need for irrigation by approximately 166%, adding significantly to fuel, labour and operational costs.
According to Teagasc, input costs for field vegetable production increased by 77% between 2020 and January 2026, while a survey of Irish carrot growers indicates that drought-related pressures have added a further 13% increase to input costs during the current season, which translates into a 23% increase in marketable production costs (€/t) for this period.
Carrots remain Ireland's most purchased vegetable, with retail sales of approximately 52,000 tonnes (t) annually and a retail market value of approximately €66m. Irish growers currently produce approximately 62,000t of carrots annually on 891 hectares nationwide.
"Consumers see carrots as one of the most affordable and healthy foods available and rightly so. However, the reality is that the current economics of producing carrots in Ireland no longer makes sense,” chair of the Irish Carrot Growers Group Tom Murray commented on the issue.
“The gap between production costs and returns has widened significantly over recent years and that is putting real pressure on growers.
“Ireland is fortunate to have highly skilled carrot growers, but the challenge now is ensuring that domestic production remains financially viable and that the next generation of growers has confidence to continue investing in the sector."
Climate change
Climate change is applying added pressure to an already challenging production environment, as increasingly frequent extreme weather events are forcing growers to invest more in resilience measures.
“Growers are investing heavily in irrigation infrastructure, water storage and other resilience measures, while also adapting to changes in crop protection and regulatory requirements.
"All of this requires significant capital and, critically, confidence that there will be a sustainable return on that investment,” vice-chair of the group John Dockrell said.
"Food security is not simply about having food available today. It is about retaining the growers, skills, infrastructure and investment needed to continue producing food in Ireland in the years ahead.
"Ireland currently imports approximately 18,000t to 20,000t of carrots annually. Maintaining a strong domestic sector therefore matters. Consumers want to buy Irish and support local growers, but that can only happen if domestic production remains economically viable."
Gerard Hickey from Hickey’s Farm in Boharnamoe, Ardee, Co Louth, told the Irish Farmers Journal that carrot growers want to see consumers in Ireland support the sector, as the demand is high for Irish-grown carrots.
He highlighted that the remaining nine growers came together to show that they are proud Irish growers, producing some of the highest-quality produce around the world.
However, costs are putting severe pressure on the sector.
“As you see, we're only looking for a very, very small increase of six cent [per carrot] – can the Irish consumer rate that quality that they can pay six cent [more per carrot]. I think they can, that's me personally.
“I'd say that most of the consumers will agree that they could pay six cent more for an Irish carrot and they want to see Irish product on the shelf.
“We're proud here in this little island to produce this stuff and I think they will back us.”
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