The new president for the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), Francie Gorman said that farm incomes will be “number one priority” over his next four years as president at the 69th annual general meeting (AGM) today (Tuesday, January 9).
Gorman said it is “unacceptable” that payments were delayed again this year, and that his first action on the issue will be to sit down with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue.
He said that farmers feel “abandoned” by the current government.
“From CAP to nitrates to TAMS to VAT to late payments, this government has let farmers down,” Gorman said.
Gorman said that as a suckler and sheep farmer, he is reliant on timely payments.
“Luckily enough I got payments on time this year, but I know a number of times I didn’t. At a time in September, when kids are going back to school or college, you have to make commitments,” he said.
“In a year when milk prices were halved at stages, those payments are massively important to everyone.
“To have them not call it on time has shattered the confidence of farmers with the department,” he added.
He said that a better scheme was needed for the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), that “properly rewards all farmers” with payments of up to €15,000.
Gorman said that he will do “whatever it takes to deliver for farmers”.
In the next four years as president, he said he will be ensuring three things:
- A much bigger say for farmers in Irish and EU policy;
- That farmers are acknowledged and paid for the work they do;
- A stronger and more vibrant IFA.
During his presidential speech, Gorman said: “At the end of the day, it’s about putting more money into farmers’ pockets.”
Gorman on climate
In the wake of 2023 being regarded as the hottest on record, Gorman said that while climate change is a “problem”, he doesn’t believe that producing food in Ireland is the problem.
“If we don’t produce it here, it’s going to be produced somewhere else that will do more damage to the planet,” he said.
Gorman described farmers as “the unsung heroes” of climate change, and said they must be recognised for their work.
He added that the handling of forestry policy is an “abject failure” from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).