Farmers urge for Budget 2027 to safeguard food security
Farmers are urging for Budget 2027 to safeguard Irish food security.
Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) rural development chair, Edmond Phelan has said that growing uncertainty around energy, fuel and fertiliser must not be allowed to develop into a food security crisis, as farmers face difficult decisions about the viability of production.
“We have seen how quickly international events can affect the price and availability of fuel and other essential inputs," Phelan said.
"Farmers are now asking themselves whether they can afford to plant, whether they will be able to get fertiliser and whether they will have the fuel needed to harvest the crop."
'Dangerous'
Phelan said this was a "very dangerous position" to be in.
"If farmers start cutting back on production because they cannot see a viable return or because they are worried about the availability and cost of inputs, concerns about food security can become a self-fulfilling prophecy," he continued.
"We cannot afford to weaken our food production capacity at a time of growing uncertainty around energy, fuel and fertiliser supplies."
Speaking on the eve of Budget 2027, Phelan said the current energy crisis should be a "wake-up call" for government and a reminder that food production is a vital part of national security.
The ICSA's rural development chair said: "Europe is already heavily dependent on other countries and international partners for energy and security.
"Ireland is part of that European system, and we cannot allow ourselves to become dependent on other countries for our food supply as well.
"Ireland has an excellent farming sector and our farmers are an important part of the European food system, but that productive capacity cannot be taken for granted.
"Once productive farms are lost, we cannot simply switch that production back on when the next international crisis comes along."
Budget 2027
Phelan said Budget 2027 must recognise the importance of keeping farmers in production.
"That means addressing the very real pressures from fuel, fertiliser and other input costs and ensuring that farmers have a viable income from producing food," he added.
"Farmers should not have to make decisions about whether to produce food based on whether they can afford the fuel to put it in the ground or the fertiliser to grow it.
"We should be strengthening our food production capacity, not putting it at risk.
"Food security is national security and Budget 2027 needs to reflect that."
