Market prices are one of the key economic parameters for monitoring the value of production and the income position of the producers. The indicator shows the average annual market prices at purchasers (rules on the market information system) of the most important agricultural products in Slovenia, comparing them also with the EU average.

Agriculture is an economic activity with specific characteristics defined by strong dependence on natural factors, relatively high immobility of production factors, characteristics of supply and demand in agricultural markets with increasing instability of global agricultural markets and special social interest in the state and development of agriculture. Achieving the long-term strategic goals is possible only in stable economic conditions for farming.

Market prices of agricultural products in Slovenia are mainly influenced by the market prices in major producer countries or the countries in the region. In most cases, market prices are at the similar level to or slightly below the EU average. In the case of livestock products, market price fluctuations are mainly due to the political situation in the world and thus a reflection of global demand for products, and further also partly to fluctuations in feed prices (poultry and pig farming) and other production costs. Fluctuations in the prices of crop products are mostly conditioned by the conditions for crop production in wider areas and thus the available quantities, and to a lesser degree by the fluctuation of input prices (fuel, fertilizers, etc.).

In the case of beef, Slovenian market prices are consistently lower than the average EU prices. Beef prices were on the rise until 2012, followed by a period of stagnation. Since 2018, beef prices have been falling. In the case of pigs, the prices of fattening pigs were above the European average for two years after Slovenia's accession to the EU (2004), and then below the EU average until 2014. In 2014, the market prices of fattening pigs in the EU decreased more intensely than in Slovenia, therefore since then the level of market prices in Slovenia has been above the EU average. Due to the regional limitations of the broiler meat market, the average market prices are consistently above the EU average, but they are adjusting to price movements in European markets and are rising despite the occasional fluctuations. Similar to broiler meat, the average market price of eggs in Slovenia is generally above the EU average. Milk market prices also follow the trends in milk prices of major producers in Europe. It is characteristic of Slovenia that it belongs to the group of EU Member States with the lowest purchase price of milk in terms of the market price of milk.

Cereal prices to a large extent depend on the harvest, both in terms of quantity and quality. Thus, wheat and maize have also experienced significant price fluctuations between harvests (years). Price movements are also partly influenced by demand for cereals on the global markets and the movement of prices of raw materials such as oil and raw materials for the fertilizer production. For both cereals, the average market prices in Slovenia in the analyzed period are very close to the EU average.

For interpreting the fulfilment of the strategic developmental objectives of the Slovenian agriculture, besides the market prices, an assessment of other economic indicators, as well as of the volume of the agricultural production is also required. Among other, the most commonly reviewed economic indicators are production costs (in absolute terms), agricultural input price indices, cost-revenue parity, etc.