The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) has expressed disappointment with Budget 2026, as Government has not brought forward any measures aimed at addressing farm income volatility.

The association’s president Denis Drennan said a tool that allows farmers to manage downward swings in income is needed if the next generation is to be encouraged onto the land.

“Every reputable survey shows that the single biggest obstacle to getting young people interested in farming is income volatility,” the ICMSA leader said.

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“If we want to get the next generation farming then we are going to have to deal with that and what’s so frustrating for ICMSA is that we have already put forward the means of dealing with that problem.”

Drennan referenced the Programme for Government commitment to explore income volatility measures for farmers, but said that policymakers hadn’t engaged with the idea with any real level of interest.

Family foundation

“Frankly, there just isn’t the energy to deal with a problem that, left unaddressed, is inevitably going to detach Irish farming from its family foundation and move the whole system to the factory setting that you see elsewhere in Europe - and not to their advantage either.

“The Government has to address income volatility in a structured manner, and they have to begin making farming more attractive to the next generation - Budget 2026 didn’t even try.”

Drennan welcomed the extension of the accelerated capital allowance for slurry storage, as well as those extended for farm consolidation, farm restructuring and young trained farmers.