{
  "id": 2126701,
  "title": "Northern Ireland farm profits topped £1bn in 2025",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/northern-ireland-farm-profits-topped-1bn-in-2025",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-20T11:25:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Science",
    "slug": "bbc-science",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0l5ddjyl5xo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Northern Ireland farming industry experienced a significant 36% increase in real terms profits in 2025, reaching over £1 billion for the first time. This figure is determined by evaluating the value of output and subsidies, then subtracting production and finance costs. Total output rose by 12% to £3.6 billion, while input costs remained relatively stable at £2.2 billion. The overall performance was largely driven by the booming beef sector, where prices reached record levels. Beef farmers saw a 37% increase in output value, reaching nearly £900 million, despite a slight decrease in production volume. This price hike reflects ongoing trends across the UK and European beef industry. The beef output surge is attributed to a prolonged period of low profits and stricter regulations, leading to reduced supply and increased demand. Additionally, dairy and egg production sectors in Northern Ireland demonstrated strong growth and substantial investment. Daera, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, forecasts a 19% profit increase for individual farms in the 2025/26 season, raising the average profit from £56,390 in 2024/25 to £66,840 in 2025/26. Despite these positive figures, Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir cautioned that this strong performance may not be sustained, citing a potential market price drop in 2026 and rising input costs. Public subsidy contributed to approximately 30% of the 2025 profits, a relatively low figure compared to historical norms, where subsidies often accounted for a significant portion of the sector's earnings during challenging years.",
  "summary": "The overall performance in 2025 was heavily influenced by developments in the beef sector which saw prices rise to record levels.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}