IFA President John Bryan has called on Taoiseach Enda Kenny to work with the French and German governments to resist efforts by Britain for cuts to the EU agriculture budget.
Speaking at the IFA annual general meeting in Dublin, Mr Bryan severely criticised Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney.
He accused him of failing to protect the interests of farming at Cabinet when budget cuts were agreed before Christmas.
Mr Byran said: "The challenge for the Government begins with the crucial EU summit on the 7-8 February.
He said: "It is essential that the Taoiseach Enda Kenny works with traditional supporters of the CAP, such as France and Germany, to resist pressure for cuts to the budget by some member states, led by Britain.
"The Government must fight to secure a fully-funded CAP budget for Ireland. This means annual funding of €1.25bn for the Single Farm Payment and €350m for Rural Development."
Later, speaking on RTÉ's News at One, he said for Ireland that is worth €11bn or approximately €1.6bn a year for seven years.
Mr Bryan added: "So the countries that believe in CAP, and believe in a proper redistribution of funding in Europe, have to take a strong stance at the heads of state meeting on the 7th of February."
He said the agriculture sector has taken "savage cuts" in recent years.
Mr Bryan said active farmers must be protected and defended for the sake of the economy.
"For every €1 that farmers make, it's worth €1.70 to the Irish economy. So money invested in agriculture creates employment, creates exports, and creates activity throughout Ireland," he said.
