An IFA delegation met the Minister for Finance Jack Chambers and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe yesterday to discuss the IFA's Budget 2025 priorities.
IFA President Francie Gorman said the meeting was an opportunity to discuss the significant pressures on farm families after a huge 57% drop in farm incomes over the last 12 months.
The IFA President said there was a particular focus on the need to support especially vulnerable sectors.
"They face the biggest challenge in trying to reach viability. We have specific, targeted proposals that would add to existing supports," he said.
"We made the point that any support for SMEs should extend to farm enterprises, which are also struggling to make ends meet because of higher costs and the burden of regulation," he said.
The IFA delegation included IFA Farm Business chair Bill O'Keeffe and IFA Rural Development chair John Curran.
The delegation also raised the Climate and Nature Fund with the Minisiters, saying a substantial element of it has to be ringfenced to support farmers in meeting climate targets.
"Farmers are keen to play their part in reaching our national targets, but funding will be needed to convert this into real outcomes," he said.
Francie Gorman said the various reliefs that exist for the sector must be extended and anything that facilitated generational renewal should be part of the package for agriculture.
He said that on the Residential Zoned Land Tax, the Ministers took on board the IFA's consistent position that active farmers would have to be removed from the tax.
Francie Gorman said Budget 2025 would be a measure of the Government's commitment to farming.
"Whatever is agreed in October, we do need to see measures rolled out much more quickly and efficiently. We cannot have a repeat of the ACRES fiasco," he added.
