{"id":682150,"date":"2026-07-09T11:04:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T11:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/682150\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T11:04:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T11:04:27","slug":"chapter-6-prices-gov-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/682150\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 6: Prices &#8211; GOV.UK"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Summary<\/p>\n<p>  The annual average price index for all agricultural outputs increased by 3.0% from 2024 to 2025.<br \/>\n  The largest upward contribution to the annual inflation rate for agricultural outputs was from<br \/>\ncattle and calves (4.8 percentage points), followed by<br \/>\nmilk (1.4 percentage points). The main downward contributions came from potatoes<br \/>\n(-1.7 percentage points) and cereals (-1.2 percentage points).<br \/>\n  The annual average price index for all agricultural inputs increased by 0.2% from 2024 to 2025.<br \/>\n  The largest upward contribution to the annual inflation rate for agricultural inputs was from<br \/>\nfertilisers and soil improvers (0.9 percentage points). The largest downward contribution was from<br \/>\ncompound feedingstuffs (-0.7 percentage points).<\/p>\n<p>Data sources<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricultural Price Index (API)<\/a> measures the monthly and annual price changes in agricultural outputs and inputs for the UK.<\/p>\n<p>Outputs:<\/p>\n<p>  The output series reflects farm-gate prices, which are the prices farmers receive for their products.<br \/>\n  Information is collected for all major crop categories (e.g., cereals, fruits and vegetables) and livestock\/animal products (e.g., sheep, milk and eggs).<\/p>\n<p>Inputs:<\/p>\n<p>  The input series reflects the prices farmers pay for various goods and services.<\/p>\n<p>It is further divided into two categories:<\/p>\n<p>  Goods and services currently consumed: These are items used up during production, such as fertiliser or seeds.<br \/>\n  Goods and services contributing to investment: These are items necessary for production but not consumed directly, such as tractors or farm buildings.<\/p>\n<p>Trends in annual price indices<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.1: Annual average price indices for agricultural outputs and inputs from 2014 to 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p>      Year<br \/>\n      All agricultural outputs<br \/>\n      All agricultural inputs<\/p>\n<p>      2014<br \/>\n      95.2<br \/>\n      93.0<\/p>\n<p>      2015<br \/>\n      86.4<br \/>\n      89.6<\/p>\n<p>      2016<br \/>\n      85.5<br \/>\n      87.1<\/p>\n<p>      2017<br \/>\n      93.6<br \/>\n      91.8<\/p>\n<p>      2018<br \/>\n      99.6<br \/>\n      98.9<\/p>\n<p>      2019<br \/>\n      96.2<br \/>\n      100.4<\/p>\n<p>      2020<br \/>\n      100.0<br \/>\n      100.0<\/p>\n<p>      2021<br \/>\n      110.0<br \/>\n      112.6<\/p>\n<p>      2022<br \/>\n      130.7<br \/>\n      143.3<\/p>\n<p>      2023<br \/>\n      132.3<br \/>\n      135.4<\/p>\n<p>      2024<br \/>\n      135.6<br \/>\n      127.2<\/p>\n<p>      2025<br \/>\n      139.6<br \/>\n      127.5<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.1 shows the annual average price indices for agricultural outputs and inputs since 2014. Compared with 2024, the annual average<br \/>\nprice index for agricultural outputs in 2025 increased by 3.0% while agricultural inputs increased by 0.2%.<\/p>\n<p>Contributions to change in the annual agricultural outputs and inputs inflation rate<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.2: Contributions to change in the agricultural outputs annual inflation rate between 2024 and 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p>      Category<br \/>\n      Contribution (percentage points)<\/p>\n<p>      Cattle and calves<br \/>\n      4.81<\/p>\n<p>      Milk<br \/>\n      1.42<\/p>\n<p>      Oilseed rape<br \/>\n      0.20<\/p>\n<p>      Sheep and lambs<br \/>\n      0.19<\/p>\n<p>      Fresh fruit<br \/>\n      0.09<\/p>\n<p>      Eggs<br \/>\n      0.08<\/p>\n<p>      Sugar beet<br \/>\n      -0.17<\/p>\n<p>      Oats<br \/>\n      -0.18<\/p>\n<p>      Pigs<br \/>\n      -0.19<\/p>\n<p>      Barley<br \/>\n      -0.38<\/p>\n<p>      Poultry<br \/>\n      -0.40<\/p>\n<p>      Fresh vegetables<br \/>\n      -0.54<\/p>\n<p>      Wheat<br \/>\n      -0.60<\/p>\n<p>      Cereals<br \/>\n      -1.15<\/p>\n<p>      Potatoes<br \/>\n      -1.72<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Notes:<\/p>\n<p>  Not all agricultural output categories are shown in Figure 6.2. Therefore, the sum of the contributions in Figure 6.2 may be slightly less than the annual inflation rate.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.2 shows the contributions to the 3.0% increase in the agricultural outputs<br \/>\ninflation rate between 2024 and 2025. This was driven by positive contributions from cattle and calves, and milk, which more than offset negative<br \/>\ncontributions from potatoes and cereals.<\/p>\n<p>Cattle and calves made the largest positive contribution to the annual inflation rate, with deadweight GB prime cattle<br \/>\nprices reaching historical highs, peaking at 697.2p\/kg in April 2025. High prices were driven by reduced beef production due to an ongoing contraction of the national cattle herd.<br \/>\nThe next largest contribution was from milk, where high prices continued from 2024 due to rising production costs and reduced global dairy product supply.<br \/>\nA historically high milk-to-feed price ratio incentivised increased production in the summer, leading to a decrease in farm-gate price in the last months of 2025 into early 2026.<br \/>\nCereals and potatoes pulled inflation down, with cereal prices easing as supply improved and potato prices falling from the high levels seen in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.3: Contributions to change in the agricultural inputs annual inflation rate between 2024 and 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p>      Category<br \/>\n      Contribution (percentage points)<\/p>\n<p>      Fertilisers and soil improvers<br \/>\n      0.92<\/p>\n<p>      Other goods and services<br \/>\n      0.43<\/p>\n<p>      Maintenance of materials<br \/>\n      0.38<\/p>\n<p>      Materials<br \/>\n      0.24<\/p>\n<p>      Veterinary services<br \/>\n      0.16<\/p>\n<p>      Maintenance of buildings<br \/>\n      0.07<\/p>\n<p>      Buildings<br \/>\n      0.03<\/p>\n<p>      Seeds<br \/>\n      -0.04<\/p>\n<p>      Energy and fuel<br \/>\n      -0.28<\/p>\n<p>      Plant protection products<br \/>\n      -0.32<\/p>\n<p>      Straight feedingstuffs<br \/>\n      -0.68<\/p>\n<p>      Compound feedingstuffs<br \/>\n      -0.73<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.3 shows the positive and negative contributions to the 0.2% decrease in the agricultural inputs inflation<br \/>\nrate between 2024 and 2025. This was driven by negative contribution from animal feedingstuffs,<br \/>\nwhich outweighed a positive contribution from fertilisers and soil improvers.<\/p>\n<p>Fertilisers and soil improvers made the largest positive contribution with high prices driven by elevated natural gas prices, reduced domestic production and<br \/>\nconstrained supply on the global markets. Animal feedingstuffs made the largest negative contribution, as lower<br \/>\ncereal and protein input prices outweighed stronger feed demand across livestock sectors.<\/p>\n<p>Trends in agricultural outputs price indices through the year<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.4: Monthly cereals price index 2024 and 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a3bcf5fd52550a19950f339\/auk-fig-6-4-cereals_20260710.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Text description for Figure 6.4: Line chart showing the cereals price index from January 2024 to December 2025. In 2024, the index falls early in the year,<br \/>\nrises sharply to a peak in late spring, then declines through the summer before edging up slightly towards year end. The 2025 index starts lower than 2024,<br \/>\ndeclines through the first half of the year, then remains relatively stable with a gradual increase towards the end of the year. Overall, prices are consistently<br \/>\nlower and less volatile in 2025 than in 2024.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The annual price index for cereals decreased by 10% in 2025 compared with 2024.<\/p>\n<p>This decrease reflects a continued easing from the exceptionally high price levels seen in 2022, as global cereal markets adjusted to improved supply conditions.<br \/>\nIncreased global wheat supplies reduced price pressures through the year, while subdued export demand and a greater reliance on domestic supplies limited upward<br \/>\nmovement in UK prices. UK cereal production increased, driven by a 7.3% increase in wheat production to around 12.0 million tonnes in 2025, with a 9.1% increase in planted<br \/>\narea and a 1.7% decrease in wheat yields to 7.2 tonnes per hectare compared with 2024. For other cereals, production outcomes were weaker: UK barley production<br \/>\nfell by 10% to 6.4 million tonnes and oat production fell by 2.3% to 0.9 million tonnes. Although domestic production remained below longer\u2011term averages,<br \/>\nthis was outweighed by weaker global prices and competitive international markets, resulting in a broadly downward trend across the year.<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.5: Monthly oilseed rape price index 2024 and 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a3bcf5feaee00074150f373\/auk-fig-6-5-osr_20260710.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Text description for Figure 6.5: Line chart showing the oilseed rape price index from January 2024 to December 2025. In 2024,<br \/>\nthe index rises steadily through the year, with a small dip in early summer, before increasing more sharply in the final quarter.<br \/>\nIn contrast, the 2025 index starts at a higher level, peaks in spring, then declines through the summer and stabilises towards the<br \/>\nend of the year. Overall, 2025 shows greater volatility and higher prices early in the year, while 2024 displays a clearer upward trend over time.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The annual price index for oilseed rape increased by 10% in 2025 compared with 2024.<\/p>\n<p>In 2025, oilseed prices were generally higher through much of the year, reflecting continued tight supply conditions in the UK and internationally.<br \/>\nWhile production recovered slightly, increasing by 7.0% from the very low level seen in 2024 to 893 thousand tonnes, planted area remained historically<br \/>\nlow at 241 thousand hectares, limiting overall availability. Global oilseed markets also remained sensitive to supply conditions, with competition<br \/>\nfrom alternative protein crops such as soybeans influencing price movements through the year. Overall, constrained supply supported firmer prices in 2025 compared with 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.6: Monthly cattle price index 2024 and 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a3bcf5e30b491f55b3c4891\/auk-fig-6-6-cattle_20260710.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Text description for Figure 6.6: Line chart showing the cattle price index from January 2024 to December 2025. In 2024, the index remains relatively<br \/>\nstable through the year, with a slight dip in spring followed by a gradual rise towards the end of the year. In contrast, the 2025 index is<br \/>\nsubstantially higher throughout, rising sharply in the first half of the year, dipping slightly over the summer, and increasing again in the<br \/>\nautumn before easing marginally in December. Overall, prices in 2025 are consistently higher and more volatile than in 2024.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The annual price index for cattle increased by 34% in<br \/>\n2025 compared with 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The higher cattle price index in 2025 is consistent with tighter domestic supply. The UK cattle and calf population fell by 1.3% to 9.3 million at 1 June 2025,<br \/>\nwith the beef breeding herd down 4.1% to 1.3 million.  As a result of several years of beef herd contraction, 2025 UK home fed beef production fell by 3.4%<br \/>\nfrom 2024 to 898 thousand tonnes dressed carcase weight, the lowest level of production since 2015.<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.7: Monthly sheep price index 2024 and 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a3bcf5fda47783d87723947\/auk-fig-6-7-sheep_20260710.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Text description for Figure 6.7: Line chart showing the sheep price index from January 2024 to December 2025. In 2024, the index rises sharply to a peak in spring,<br \/>\nthen falls through the summer to an autumn low before recovering towards the end of the year. In contrast, the 2025 index starts at a higher level,<br \/>\nremains relatively stable in the first half of the year, declines into early autumn, and then increases gradually towards December.<br \/>\nOverall, 2025 prices are generally higher and less volatile than those seen in 2024.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The annual price index for sheep increased by 3.0% in<br \/>\n2025 compared with 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The higher sheep price index in 2025 was driven by continued constrained production, with lower output from abattoirs early in the year,<br \/>\nalongside ongoing flock contraction. The UK sheep and lamb population was down 1.7% to 30.5 million at 1 June 2025, with lamb numbers down 2.9%.<br \/>\nUK home fed sheep meat production increased by 1.9% overall, to 282 thousand tonnes dressed carcase weight, however production remained 4.4%<br \/>\nbelow the five year average. Prices and slaughter patterns in spring 2025 differed from the same period in 2024 when holiday timing and<br \/>\nretailer promotions supported stronger demand and lower prices.<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.8: Monthly pigs price index 2024 and 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a3bcf5fd52550a19950f336\/auk-fig-6-8-pigs_20260710.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Text description for Figure 6.8: Line chart showing the pigs price index from January 2024 to December 2025.<br \/>\nIn 2024, the index remains relatively stable in the first half of the year before declining gradually towards the end of the year.<br \/>\nThe 2025 index starts slightly lower, rises modestly through the summer, then falls more sharply from early autumn to December.<br \/>\nOverall, prices are consistently lower in 2025 than in 2024, with a more pronounced downward trend in the final months.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The annual price index for pigs decreased by 3.2% in<br \/>\n2025 compared with 2024.<\/p>\n<p>GB deadweight standard pig price (UK spec) fell by 4.8p in 2025 to 201.3 p\/kg, driven primarily by an increase in pig meat production as the cost of<br \/>\nproduction eased in 2025. The UK pig population saw a small increase of 0.5% to 4.7 million at 1 June 2025, with a 3.2% decline in breeding pigs<br \/>\nto 407 thousand from 2024. UK home fed pig meat production increased by around 2.6% to 937 thousand tonnes, driven by a 1.8% rise<br \/>\nin home fed clean pig slaughterings to 9.9 million head and a 1.1% increase in average carcase weight. Pig meat demand remained subdued in 2025,<br \/>\nparticularly from the foodservice and export sectors, while consumers continued to seek out cheaper protein options such as poultry.<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.9: Monthly milk price index 2024 and 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a3bcf5f4c7605ab5672391a\/auk-fig-6-9-milk_20260710.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Text description for Figure 6.9: Line chart showing the milk price index from January 2024 to December 2025.<br \/>\nIn 2024, the index increases steadily through the year, particularly from summer onwards, reaching its highest level in the final months.<br \/>\nIn contrast, the 2025 index starts at a higher level, declines through spring, rises again in late summer, and then falls sharply towards<br \/>\nthe end of the year. Overall, 2024 shows a clear upward trend, while 2025 is more variable and ends at a lower level.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The annual price index for milk increased by 6.7% in 2025<br \/>\ncompared with 2024.<\/p>\n<p>High farm-gate milk prices continued from 2024, reaching 46 pence per litre in January 2025, due to rising production costs and reduced global dairy product supply.<br \/>\nA historically high milk-to-feed price ratio and favourable weather conditions incentivised increased production in the spring flush into the summer.<br \/>\nUK milk production in the second quarter of 2025 was up 6.3% on the same period in 2024. This, combined with global production recovery, led to a sharp<br \/>\ndecline in dairy commodity values in September resulting in a decrease in farmgate price in the last months of 2025 to 40 pence per litre in December 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.10: Monthly egg price index 2024 and 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a3bcf5fda47783d87723948\/auk-fig-6-10-eggs_20260710.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Text description for Figure 6.10: Line chart showing the egg price index from January 2024 to December 2025.<br \/>\nIn 2024, the index increases gradually from early in the year and then remains broadly stable through the second half of the year.<br \/>\nThe 2025 index starts slightly higher, stays relatively flat for most of the year, and then converges with 2024 levels towards the<br \/>\nfinal months. Overall, both years show limited volatility, with prices remaining at broadly similar levels by year end.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The annual price index for eggs increased by 2.0% in 2025 compared with 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The small decline in the egg price index in the autumn of 2025 reflects a more balanced market following a period of elevated prices,<br \/>\nas production and supply continued to recover. UK egg production for human consumption increased through 2025, with overall volumes 5.2%<br \/>\nhigher than 2024, supported by a 2.0% increase in the laying flock and 1.6% increase in layer chick placings as the sector rebuilt capacity<br \/>\nfollowing earlier avian influenza impacts. Increased production eased pressure on prices, while retail demand remained relatively stable,<br \/>\nresulting in only limited price movement through the year.<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.11: Monthly potatoes price index 2024 and 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a3bcf5f30b491f55b3c4892\/auk-fig-6-11-potato_20260710.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Text description for Figure 6.11: Line chart showing the potatoes price index from January 2024 to December 2025.<br \/>\nIn 2024, the index rises sharply to a peak in late spring, then falls steadily through the second half of the year.<br \/>\nIn contrast, the 2025 index shows an almost mirror image pattern, starting slightly lower, and declining further to a mid\u2011year low,<br \/>\nbefore recovering in late summer through to year end. Overall, 2024 shows greater volatility and higher peak prices, while 2025 remains<br \/>\nlower for most of the year.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The annual price index for potatoes decreased by 31%<br \/>\nin 2025 compared with 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Potato prices decreased in 2025 due to an increase in production. Prices were exceptionally high in 2024 following a difficult harvest,<br \/>\nwhich encouraged increased planting and resulted in ample supplies in 2025. As the 2025 season progressed, free\u2011buy and open\u2011market potato<br \/>\nprices fell sharply due to high availability and subdued demand, particularly as buyers were already covered by contracts agreed earlier<br \/>\nin the season. Substantial oversupply, combined with weaker seasonal consumption and the arrival of new\u2011crop potatoes, produced the<br \/>\nmid\u2011year dip seen in the 2025 index. Prices recovered somewhat in late summer as stocks tightened, but remained<br \/>\nwell below the peaks recorded in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Trends in agricultural inputs price indices through the year<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.12: Monthly fertilisers and soil improvers price index 2024 and 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a3bcf5fd52550a19950f337\/auk-fig-6-12-fertilisers_20260710.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Text description for Figure 6.12: Line chart showing the fertilisers and soil improvers price index from January 2024 to December 2025.<br \/>\nIn 2024, the index declines slowly bur steadily through most of the year before stabilising towards year end.<br \/>\nIn contrast, the 2025 index starts at a similar level but rises gradually through the first half of the year, remaining higher than 2024 throughout<br \/>\nand easing slightly in the final months. Overall, prices are consistently higher in 2025, while 2024 shows a gradual downward trend.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The annual price index for fertilisers and soil improvers increased by 11% in 2025 compared with 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Fertiliser and soil improvers prices increased in 2025 due to upward pressure on nitrogen fertiliser costs, largely driven by energy markets.<br \/>\nNatural gas typically accounts for 60 to 80% of nitrogen fertiliser production costs, and gas prices remained elevated through 2025 compared with 2024,<br \/>\ndespite easing from earlier crisis peaks. UK ammonium nitrate prices averaged \u00a3385 per tonne in 2025, up from \u00a3338 per tonne in 2024 (an increase of \u00a347 per tonne, 14%),<br \/>\nalthough still below the 2023 average of \u00a3453 per tonne. This reflected higher production costs and tighter global supply,<br \/>\nalongside ongoing geopolitical and trade pressures in fertiliser markets.<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.13: Monthly energy and fuel price index 2024 and 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a3bcf5fd52550a19950f338\/auk-fig-6-13-energy_and_fuel_20260710.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Text description for Figure 6.13: Line chart showing the energy and fuel price index from January 2024 to December 2025.<br \/>\nIn 2024, the index rises slightly early in the year before declining steadily to a low point in early autumn and then increasing<br \/>\nmodestly towards year end. In contrast, the 2025 index falls gradually in the first half of the year, then rises from late summer<br \/>\nto finish the year at a higher level than 2024. Overall, 2024 shows a mid\u2011year decline followed by partial recovery, while 2025<br \/>\nfollows a clearer upward trend in the latter part of the year.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The annual price index for energy and fuel decreased by 3.0% in 2025 compared with 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The annual average price of red diesel fell from 80.8 pence per litre in 2024 to 76.0 pence per litre in 2025, while average crude oil prices<br \/>\ndeclined from \u00a362.50 per barrel in 2024 to \u00a352.80 per barrel in 2025, contributing to lower prices earlier in the year. However,<br \/>\nfirmer fuel prices later in 2025 led to the late year increase seen in the index.<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.14: Monthly animal feedingstuffs price index 2024 and 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a3bcf5f30b491f55b3c4893\/auk-fig-6-14-animal-feed_20260710.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Text description for Figure 6.14: Line chart showing the animal feedingstuffs price index from January 2024 to December 2025.<br \/>\nIn 2024, the index declines gradually through the first half of the year and then remains broadly stable towards year end.<br \/>\nThe 2025 index starts at a lower level, falls further into mid\u2011year, and then rises modestly in the second half of the year,<br \/>\nbut remains below 2024 throughout. Overall, both years show a similar trend, with limited volatility, and 2025 consistently lower than 2024.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The annual price index for animal feedingstuffs decreased by 4.7% in 2025 compared with 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Animal feedingstuffs price fell in 2025 due to decreases in underlying commodity prices, despite increased demand for feed across several livestock sectors.<br \/>\nDefra feed accounts show that compound animal feed production increased by 2.6% to 13.6 million tonnes in 2025, but the total value of compound feed<br \/>\nfell by 1.2% as cheaper cereals and protein inputs offset higher volumes. Demand for feed strengthened in the cattle, calf and sheep sectors,<br \/>\nsupported by higher beef, lamb and milk prices and a shortage of good\u2011quality forage during the dry and hot spring and summer of 2025,<br \/>\nwhich increased reliance on compound feeds. At the same time, lower global prices for key feed commodities such as wheat and soyabean meal<br \/>\nhelped constrain feed costs, contributing to falling prices for both compound feed and straights.<\/p>\n<p>Figure 6.15: Monthly maintenance of materials price index 2024 and 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a3bcf5feaee00074150f372\/auk-fig-6-15-maintenance_20260710.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Text description for Figure 6.15: Line chart showing the Maintenance of materials price index from January 2024 to December 2025.<br \/>\nIn 2024, the index increases gradually over the year with small month\u2011to\u2011month fluctuations. In contrast, the 2025 index starts at a<br \/>\nhigher level and rises more steadily through the year, remaining consistently above 2024. Overall, both years show a similar upward trend,<br \/>\nwith higher prices throughout 2025.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The annual price index for maintenance of materials increased by 6.0% in 2025 compared with 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Maintenance of materials increased in 2025 due to continuing cost pressures on machinery repairs, spare parts and building materials, following sustained<br \/>\ninflation in these areas in earlier years. Machinery\u2011related and building\u2011related maintenance costs have remained elevated, driven by high prices for steel,<br \/>\ncomponents and specialist labour, even as some other inputs have eased. Building material prices and construction input costs remained high through 2025,<br \/>\nsupported by energy costs, supply\u2011chain disruption and higher labour expenses, feeding through to farm building repairs and maintenance.<\/p>\n<p>Summary tables of price indices<\/p>\n<p>Table 6.1: Annual average price indices for agricultural outputs 2024 to 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p>      Category<br \/>\n      2024<br \/>\n      2025<br \/>\n      Annual inflation rate (%)<\/p>\n<p>      Cereals<br \/>\n      120.6<br \/>\n      108.2<br \/>\n      -10.3<\/p>\n<p>      Wheat<br \/>\n      115.0<br \/>\n      105.6<br \/>\n      -8.1<\/p>\n<p>      Barley<br \/>\n      129.6<br \/>\n      114.7<br \/>\n      -11.6<\/p>\n<p>      Oats<br \/>\n      160.3<br \/>\n      108.0<br \/>\n      -32.6<\/p>\n<p>      Oilseed rape<br \/>\n      113.9<br \/>\n      125.4<br \/>\n      10.1<\/p>\n<p>      Sugar beet<br \/>\n      165.5<br \/>\n      139.3<br \/>\n      -15.8<\/p>\n<p>      Forage plants<br \/>\n      124.4<br \/>\n      124.6<br \/>\n      0.1<\/p>\n<p>      Fresh vegetables<br \/>\n      137.0<br \/>\n      125.3<br \/>\n      -8.6<\/p>\n<p>      Plants and flowers<br \/>\n      115.7<br \/>\n      115.7<br \/>\n      0.0<\/p>\n<p>      Potatoes<br \/>\n      231.1<br \/>\n      158.5<br \/>\n      -31.4<\/p>\n<p>      Fresh fruit<br \/>\n      117.4<br \/>\n      120.3<br \/>\n      2.4<\/p>\n<p>      Cattle and calves<br \/>\n      145.6<br \/>\n      194.9<br \/>\n      33.9<\/p>\n<p>      Pigs<br \/>\n      131.0<br \/>\n      126.8<br \/>\n      -3.2<\/p>\n<p>      Sheep and lambs<br \/>\n      147.0<br \/>\n      151.4<br \/>\n      3.0<\/p>\n<p>      Poultry<br \/>\n      108.1<br \/>\n      103.8<br \/>\n      -4.0<\/p>\n<p>      Milk<br \/>\n      144.2<br \/>\n      153.8<br \/>\n      6.7<\/p>\n<p>      Eggs<br \/>\n      173.3<br \/>\n      176.7<br \/>\n      2.0<\/p>\n<p>      All agricultural outputs<br \/>\n      135.6<br \/>\n      139.6<br \/>\n      3.0<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Table 6.2: Annual average price indices for agricultural inputs 2024 to 2025 (2020 = 100)<\/p>\n<p>      Category<br \/>\n      2024<br \/>\n      2025<br \/>\n      Annual inflation rate (%)<\/p>\n<p>      Seeds<br \/>\n      107.0<br \/>\n      106.0<br \/>\n      -0.9<\/p>\n<p>      Energy and fuel<br \/>\n      148.8<br \/>\n      144.3<br \/>\n      -3.0<\/p>\n<p>      Fertilisers and soil improvers<br \/>\n      154.1<br \/>\n      170.8<br \/>\n      10.8<\/p>\n<p>      Plant protection products<br \/>\n      110.3<br \/>\n      103.1<br \/>\n      -6.5<\/p>\n<p>      Veterinary services<br \/>\n      111.8<br \/>\n      119.1<br \/>\n      6.6<\/p>\n<p>      Straight feedingstuffs<br \/>\n      114.5<br \/>\n      104.5<br \/>\n      -8.7<\/p>\n<p>      Compound feedingstuffs<br \/>\n      128.6<br \/>\n      124.4<br \/>\n      -3.3<\/p>\n<p>      Maintenance of materials<br \/>\n      126.0<br \/>\n      133.5<br \/>\n      6.0<\/p>\n<p>      Maintenance of buildings<br \/>\n      136.5<br \/>\n      138.7<br \/>\n      1.7<\/p>\n<p>      Other goods and services<br \/>\n      118.1<br \/>\n      122.1<br \/>\n      3.3<\/p>\n<p>      Materials<br \/>\n      124.6<br \/>\n      127.1<br \/>\n      2.0<\/p>\n<p>      Buildings<br \/>\n      140.7<br \/>\n      141.5<br \/>\n      0.6<\/p>\n<p>      All agricultural inputs<br \/>\n      127.2<br \/>\n      127.5<br \/>\n      0.2<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/agricultural-price-indices\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Agricutural Price Index<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a2949bbdb0592d809052bf3\/AUK-chapter6-20260709.ods\" target=\"_blank\">Download the full prices dataset<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Revisions<\/p>\n<p>Figures in these tables for 2025 are provisional and may be subject to revision.<\/p>\n<p>Fertilisers and soil improvers prices were revised from 2014 to 2025 to correct a historical error in the annual weights.<\/p>\n<p>Eggs and milk prices were revised from 2024 to reflect revisions to the underlying data series.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Summary The annual average price index for all agricultural outputs increased by 3.0% from 2024 to 2025. The&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":294292,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[59,57,58,50,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-682150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-kingdom","tag-gb","tag-great-britain","tag-greatbritain","tag-news","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/682150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=682150"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/682150\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=682150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=682150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=682150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}