The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has called on the government to bring forward a range of targeted measures to support farmers in Budget 2023.
IFA president Tim Cullinan said that figures published today (Tuesday, September 13) by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that the gap is widening between input costs and the prices farmers are being paid.
The CSO agricultural input price index is up by 39.1% in the year from July 2021, while the output price index is up by 28.4%.
The price index for feed stuffs increased by 2.2% within one month, and by 34.2% in the 12 months from July last year.
The input price index for fertiliser is up by 133.8%, and energy prices are 51.3% higher than 12 months ago, according to the CSO figures.
“Output prices are struggling to keep pace with the surging price of inputs. For the first time this year, aggregate prices paid to farmers, particularly among the low-income drystock sectors, have fallen.
“This is at a time when inputs have risen nearly 40%,” Cullinan said.
The IFA president said that farm businesses cannot continue to absorb the gap between the cost of producing food and what they are being paid.
Ahead of IFA’s pre-Budget meeting with Oireachtas members tomorrow, Cullinan said that the government will have to bring forward a range of targeted measures in Budget 2023.
“Given what lies ahead on energy prices, and the huge increases in other inputs, the farming sector will need support to keep its head above water.”
The IFA president said that the pressures facing farmers have been outlined in previous meetings with the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath.
“IFA will reinforce the challenges at our briefing tomorrow,” Cullinan said.