There are not too many farm organisations in play, the IFA’s leader Francie Gorman said after he called for Ireland’s farming sector to adopt the united front playbook that was used to secure an extension to the nitrates derogation.
“No” was Gorman’s response to an Irish Farmers Journal question on whether he sees the current number of organisations representing farmers as being too high at the association’s AGM on Tuesday.
The IFA president suggested that competition for farmers’ loyalties may “keep us on our toes”, but said that the IFA proved it will stand alongside other farming organisations on issues it sees as relevant “over the last two years in particular”.
“That probably wouldn’t have happened previously within IFA,” he commented.
The IFA’s director general Damian McDonald responded to the same question by stating that the association’s membership of 71,000 resulted from “hard yards and hard work”.
“Our focus is always on maintaining that. When the organisation was set up in 1955, the vision was to have an organisation that could represent all farmers in every commodity in every sector,” he said.
On communications strategy, which had been a hot topic during the IFA’s last leadership race, McDonald praised a “superb” performance from Gorman on getting the IFA’s message out to both farmers and the public over his first two-year term.
Gorman himself said that while social media plays a role in communicating the IFA’s message, there is a wariness it must not be used in a way that damages the association’s relationship with other stakeholders.
“The one thing we have always done, whether it was me or any of my predecessors, – we have had rows with meat processors, with governments, we have occupied the Department of Agriculture, we have blocked meat factories, there is not one door closed to us today.”
Read more
Watch: Gorman flags CAP and Mercosur as IFA's two biggest battles in 2026
There are not too many farm organisations in play, the IFA’s leader Francie Gorman said after he called for Ireland’s farming sector to adopt the united front playbook that was used to secure an extension to the nitrates derogation.
“No” was Gorman’s response to an Irish Farmers Journal question on whether he sees the current number of organisations representing farmers as being too high at the association’s AGM on Tuesday.
The IFA president suggested that competition for farmers’ loyalties may “keep us on our toes”, but said that the IFA proved it will stand alongside other farming organisations on issues it sees as relevant “over the last two years in particular”.
“That probably wouldn’t have happened previously within IFA,” he commented.
The IFA’s director general Damian McDonald responded to the same question by stating that the association’s membership of 71,000 resulted from “hard yards and hard work”.
“Our focus is always on maintaining that. When the organisation was set up in 1955, the vision was to have an organisation that could represent all farmers in every commodity in every sector,” he said.
On communications strategy, which had been a hot topic during the IFA’s last leadership race, McDonald praised a “superb” performance from Gorman on getting the IFA’s message out to both farmers and the public over his first two-year term.
Gorman himself said that while social media plays a role in communicating the IFA’s message, there is a wariness it must not be used in a way that damages the association’s relationship with other stakeholders.
“The one thing we have always done, whether it was me or any of my predecessors, – we have had rows with meat processors, with governments, we have occupied the Department of Agriculture, we have blocked meat factories, there is not one door closed to us today.”
Read more
Watch: Gorman flags CAP and Mercosur as IFA's two biggest battles in 2026
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