IFA president Tim Cullinan has said that only farmers can deliver change within the agricultural sector, and yet they are being treated as pawns in the CAP debate.

Cullinan commented: “Megaphone communications, meaningless consultation processes and PR tours of the country will not make progress.

“In recent days, we have seen the Taoiseach, the Minister for Agriculture and the director of Teagasc use various platforms to float ideas about what the future holds for farmers..

“The various suggestions such as herd limits, reducing suckler cows and other initiatives could have far-reaching implications for farm families.

“Yet we are being fed a diet of leaks, public statements, feature interviews and sermons,” Cullinan said.

Engagement

“Farmers want to engage constructively, but the goal posts keep moving. We had AgClimatise and the Agri-Food Strategy 2030.

“Now we are told that these will be superseded by sectoral targets", he said, adding that: “Farming is a business and farmers need certainty.”

Cullinan has insisted that the Government must sit down with farmers and try to reach an agreement on the way forward.

The key issues highlighted by the IFA president are the new CAP strategic plan; sectoral targets under the Climate Act; the Nitrates Action Programme; and the allocation of the €1.5bn in carbon tax funds committed to in the programme for government.