The development of a new strategy for the agri-food sector will only be credible if the focus is firmly on delivering farm profitability, the IFA has said.

IFA President Eddie Downey was speaking in advance of the first meeting of the 2025 Agri-Food Strategy Committee, which takes place today (Thursday). He said that despite Food HArvest 2020, "there has been very little progress made in strengthening the overall viability and profitability of the primary agriculture sector, which underpins the entire agri-food industry”.

Downey said that a new strategy "must put the sustainable growth of the primary agriculture sector at its core. This can be measured through an increase in farm profitability, an improvement in farm efficiency and the measurement and delivery of increasingly sustainable food production”.

Farm profitability will require measures both on and off farm, Downey said. He said that stakeholders must take responsibility for delivering measures, including "increased price transparency across the food supply chain, greater bargaining powers for primary producers, and real actions to tackle input costs."

The IFA President said there must also be a renewed focus on marketing Irish products and ingredients.

Downey also highlighted the importance of Direct Payments as a counter-measure to volatility. "The new strategy must target the full utilisation of available EU and national funding for the sector, and the development of a coherent policy to support the retention of maximum funding in future CAP reforms," he said.