Agricultural costs increase

Agricultural output prices were 1.9 per cent higher in September than in August, according to new figures released by the CSO.

Input prices increased by 1.3 per cent during the same period according to the figures.

The price of potatoes soared 171 per cent between September 2011 and September 2012.

The price of cereals rose by 30 per cent, while the price of eggs was up more than 16 per cent, according to the Agricultural Prices Index. The price of milk, however, decreased by 10.5 per cent.

On an annual basis, the agricultural output price index in September 2012 was 5.6 per cent higher than in September 2011. The agricultural input price index was up 6.9 per cent in September 2012 when compared with the same month last year.