The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has said that it is “unwise” for the government to make any decisions on how to protect food security without engaging with farmers.

The association was reacting to a report in the Business Post today (Sunday, March 6) which said that all farmers may be asked to plant some of their land with crops as a way of addressing food security concerns in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

IFA president Tim Cullinan said this morning that there has been “no discussion with farmers regarding media reports that they may be required to grow crops in 2022”.

Yesterday, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue announced that he would meet with farm organisations this coming Tuesday (March 8) to discuss this very issue.

The meeting takes place in the evening after a scheduled cabinet meeting.

“We are in very challenging times and farmers will certainly play our part in any national or European effort,” Cullinan said.

However, he added that it is “far from certain that asking all farmers to plant crops is the best use of the resources that are likely to be available to us”.

“The biggest issue facing farmers is the rocketing cost and availability of inputs. This is where the government needs to focus its efforts, as well as looking at some of their own regulations.

“It would be very unwise of the government to make any decisions on this before engaging fully with farmers. Irish farming is very different than it was in the 1940s. What was done then may not be the solution today,” the IFA president concluded.

The minister said yesterday that the meeting with farm organisations would discuss the disruption to the sector and current market situation as a result of the invasion of Ukraine.

“I have asked members of the main farming bodies to attend a meeting in my department on Tuesday [March 8] to assess the situation and how we can work closely and collaboratively in the time ahead,” the minister said.

He also confirmed that a “rapid response team” within the department, which will be headed up by department secretary general Brendan Gleeson, has been established to “actively monitor” the developing situation.

This group will report directly to the minister.

“At times like these, food is our most important resource so, as a department, we are taking every possible proactive step to ensure that we are agile and can respond to this rapidly evolving situation,” Minister McConalogue highlighted.

Earlier this week, the minister attended a meeting of EU agriculture ministers to discuss the Ukraine situation.

At that meeting, European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski confirmed that market support measures under Common Market Organisation (CMO) regulations would be made available when required.

“I welcome the commissioner’s commitment to support the agri sector. Following the council of minister’s meeting, I have written to Commissioner Wojciechowski to ensure that any supports can be rolled out rapidly to support the sector,” the minister said.

“I will continue to work with my European colleagues to deliver supports if and when they are needed,” Minister McConalogue added.