The agricultural price index for July 2014 for all outputs fell by 4.5% and for all inputs by 0.6%. The fall in the monthly price index for outputs was due mainly to the index for crops falling by 6.2% while the index for animals and animal products remained the same.
The prices are lower than the same time last year with the prices for all outputs down 9.3% and the prices for all inputs down 4.6%.
The agricultural price index for all outputs fell by 0.8% and the API for inputs fell by 1.4% in May 2014 according to a statistical bulletin from Defra. The prices are lower than the same time last year. The API for all outputs is 8.3% lower and the API for all inputs is 3.4% lower than last year.
All crop prices are down on last year at this time. The biggest differences in output prices are with potatoes (46%), fresh fruit (27%), cereals (18%) and fresh vegetables (18%). On the inputs side, energy and lubricant prices are down for the fourth month in a row. Prices fell by 0.3% in May and are 1% lower than a year ago. Animal feed is down 1.9% on the monthly comparison and 31% down on last year. Fertiliser prices are 2.9% lower in May and 9.1% lower than the same time last year.
Farm gate milk prices fell by 0.6% or 0.2p/litre to 33.7p/litre because a large number of dairies cut the prices they pay to milk producers during March 2014. The price this March is still up 12% on the price of milk in March last year when the price was 30.07p/litre.
The average butterfat content percentage in March 2014 was provisionally 4.06% and the average protein content percentage was 3.26%.
Prices paid to dairy farmers have increased again in October giving another record high UK average farm gate milk price of 33.5p/litre. It is a 15% increase over the year (29.1p/l in October 2012).
The average butterfat content of UK milk was 4.08%, 2.6% lower than last year and the average protein content was 3.31%, 0.02% lower than last year.
Farm gate milk prices increased by almost 1p/litre to reach yet another record high price of 32.95p/l on average in September according to estimates from Defra.
The average butterfat content of UK milk was 4% down from 4.1% in September 2012. The average protein content was 3.33% slightly up on the 3.29% of September last year.
Farm gate prices fell by 6.2% in July but they remain 4.9% above last year's prices. Input prices also fell by 1.1% in July but they are also above last year's prices by 2.9%.
Output prices fell across the board in July except for forage crops. Cereals fell 8.3% due to a fall in demand as traders expect global production to rise, but prices are still 0.4% higher than last year. Global supply is also keeping the price of oilseed rape down. OSR prices fell 13% in July and are 11% down on last year.
Potato prices fell 46% on the month due to early potato prices which fell 8% as the season ended. Vegetables fell 13% and are 11% down on last year. Cauliflowers fell 57%. Increased supply, warm weather and low demand combined to bring the prices down.
Livestock prices were better as animal and animal products prices increased 0.2% on the month and 11% on the year. The rise was mainly due to a 1.9% increase in the price of milk which is 19% higher than last year.
Feed prices have seen a gradual fall of 2.4% over the last few months but they are still 12% above this time last year. Feed cereals saw the biggest fall in price with an 8.6% fall.
The latest monthly information regarding the prices milk prices and the butterfat and protein content of milk in the UK sujggests that in May 2013 the average farm gate price of milk was 29.82p/litre, up 2.89p/litre on the previous year.
The average butterfat content was 3.91% compared with 3.97% last year and the average protein content was 3.22% compared with 3.24% last year.
