Horticulture Crop Input Prices 2026 Report
Teagasc has published its Horticulture Crop Input Prices 2026 report, which finds that the cost of producing horticultural crops in Ireland rose on average by 3.9% between January 2025 and January 2026.
The report also found significant longer‑term inflation since 2020, with fresh volatility in energy, packaging, fertiliser and transportation costs since March 2026.
Key findings:
- Overall and long‑term inflation: Input costs rose 3.9% year‑on‑year (Jan 2025 to Jan 2026). Since 2020, horticultural input costs have risen on average by 76.2% across subsectors.
- Labour: Labour is the single largest input, now representing about 43.4% of total production costs and has increased 3.9 percentage points since 2020. Wage, employer PRSI and pension changes mean effective labour costs rose roughly 6.2% in the reporting period.
- Fertiliser and growing media: Fertiliser costs averaged a 10.1% increase (Jan 2025 to Jan 2026), with some specialty products (e.g., controlled‑release fertilisers used in container production) reported up to a 27% increase. Growing media, plant and seed costs are also rising.
- Energy and gas volatility: Wholesale UK natural gas prices have increased rapidly from early March 2026. Average daily gas prices rose 54% from Jan to early March 2026, sharply increasing costs for heated protected production (high‑wire glasshouse crops) and altering sector outlooks. High‑wire crops flip from a Jan‑to‑Jan deflation of minus 4.3% to approx. plus 5.3% when early March gas rises are applied. Additionally, continuing high natural gas costs through March, April and May are significantly impacting grower profitability in the high wire crop sector.
- Weather impacts: Heavy autumn/winter rainfall (Oct 2025 to Feb 2026) increased harvesting, washing and packaging costs for winter root and brassica crops and affected crop quality.
- Sector variation: 2026 input inflation varies by subsector (2025–26 weighted changes): Top Fruit +7.5%, Nursery Stock +7.5%, Soft Fruit +5.5%, Vegetables +4.7%, Protected Salad Crops +4.5%, Mushrooms +1.8% (High‑Wire Crops show a net +5.3% when March gas price increases are included).
Michael Gaffney, acting Head of Teagasc Horticulture Development Department said, “The publication of our 2026 Horticulture Input Price report indicates continuing increases in the cost of producing horticultural products. Since 2020 there has been considerable input price inflation in the horticultural sector due to a series of geopolitical and climate related events. In order to stabilise input costs particularly around labour, investment in automation and labour-saving technologies is required where available. These investments will be significant, and growers require prices that reflect the cost of production and the cost of investments required, as well as long term collaborations to help de-risk these investments.
In addition to the rise in input cost inflation reported, it must be highlighted that since March 2026 significant further inflation in input costs are occurring and will need to be considered additional to the input prices outlined in the report and shared equitably across the food supply chain to avoid further erosion of the domestic grower base.