“As public service workers prepare to take strike action to secure pay increases to help them cope with rising costs, Irish farmers are facing the prospect of a 24% cut in CAP payments,” Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) rural development chair Edmond Phelan has said.

He stated that the association does not begrudge other workers seeking better pay, but added that farmers face the same rising costs and need to earn a decent living too.

Phelan was speaking after a Department of Agriculture briefing for farm organisations in Backweston on Monday on the proposed EU budget for 2028–2034. The briefing followed Saturday’s publication of the Irish presidency’s latest negotiating proposal.

ADVERTISEMENT

“You cannot expect farmers to produce our food while cutting by 24% the funding that helps keep their businesses going,” he said.

European food security

“If farmers cannot make a living from food production, Europe's ability to feed itself will be put at risk. Farmers and the public should not have to pay the price for policy decisions that undermine Europe's food-producing capacity.”

Europe risks undermining its own ability to produce food by pursuing policies that make farming less viable, according to the ICSA rural development chair.

He noted that the projected 24% reduction in CAP payments for Irish farmers would hit farm incomes hard, particularly for beef, sheep and suckler farmers, who depend heavily on direct payments.

“For many farmers, CAP payments are a vital part of making the figures add up. A cut of this size would leave a serious hole in farm incomes when many farmers are already struggling to make a living.”

EU presidency

Phelan called on Ireland to use its EU presidency to push for a better deal while these negotiations are still under way to secure a CAP budget that recognises the importance of farming and gives farmers a fair chance of making a living from what they do.

“The Irish presidency’s latest proposal does nothing to reverse the substantial reduction in the CAP budget compared with the current funding period.

"The suggestion that national funding could make up the difference leaves farmers unsure how much support they can expect. We cannot expect farmers to plan for the future on the basis of funding that may never materialise."

He said the proposed reduction would also make it harder to attract the next generation into farming.

“If we want the next generation to take on farms, there has to be a viable business there for them. We cannot talk about generational renewal while putting further pressure on the income that keeps farms going.”