A staple for delegates at the annual Teagasc National Tillage Conference and made available to growers before spring cropping gets underway in earnest, Teagasc has published its Crops Costs and Returns 2026.
Compiled by Ciaran Collins and Shay Phelan, Crops Specialists at Teagasc, and available to download from the Teagasc website, the Crops Costs and Returns 2026 serves as an informative guide, allowing tillage farmers to examine their costs of production while also forecasting potential crop margins.
The publication provides guideline costs for the main cereal crops, both winter and spring, along with non-cereal and forage crops such as beet, maize, potatoes, beans and peas or winter oilseed rape.
Commenting on the publication, Ciaran Collins said: “Tillage farmers are coming off the back off a challenging year for income. Although crop yields were relatively good for the most part, the price received for deliveries crossing the weighbridge left a lot to be desired.
“Unfortunately, economists in the Teagasc National Farm Survey Department are forecasting that prices will probably remain similar to the 2025 harvest, so before committing to sow this spring, farmers really need to undertake a thorough appraisal of the costs of running their businesses.
“Within the Teagasc Crops and Returns 2026, we provide farmers with guideline costs for materials, machinery costs and fixed costs to make this task easier, but farmers must factor in land suitability, rotation, risk avoidance and husbandry skills when both setting target yields for your farm and deciding on which crop to set.”
Continuing, Shay Phelan added: “Variability in both costs and yields has become increasingly common on tillage farms. When assessing potential yields for your farm, we recommend reviewing past crop performance and using a three-year average to better account for year-to-year variation.”
Along with assessing crop margins through the Crops Costs and Returns 2026, tillage farmers are encouraged to complete a full financial appraisal of their business using the Teagasc Profit Monitor and Teagasc Machinery Costs Calculator to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their tillage operation. Additionally, with margins looking variable for the year ahead, tillage growers are being encouraged to maximise guaranteed income from schemes such as Protein Aid, the Straw Incorporation Measure, ACRES, Farming for Water etc to help their farm’s bottom-line.
As detailed within the publication, machinery continues to be a significant expense on tillage farms, with Shay Phelan adding: “Investments in machinery require a thorough financial appraisal before any purchasing decision is taken. The cost of machinery is the second largest cost on tillage farms, typically about 25 – 30% of total growing costs. Machinery costs on tillage farms can be analysed using the Teagasc Machinery Cost Calculator which is available from your local Teagasc Tillage Advisor.”
Access and download the Teagasc Crops and Returns 2026 here (PDF).
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