The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has announced that the new European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food will attend the association’s 2025 annual general meeting (AGM).

Christophe Hansen will also make an address at what will be the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the IFA, taking place in the Irish Farm Centre, Co Dublin.

The AGM will take place over two days on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 January, with the commissioner addressing the event on the Thursday.

This will also be Hansen’s first visit to Ireland since he was confirmed as Commissioner in December.

IFA president Francie Gorman said that there are significant issues on the EU agenda for 2025, such as the future of the CAP and Mercosur, that will be discussed at the meeting.

“[The] IFA will use the AGM as an opportunity to raise our issues with the Commissioner and make the case for a CAP that will work for Irish farming.”

Anniversary

On Monday 6 January, the IFA marked the 70th anniversary of its founding after, in 1965, 2,000 farmers gathered in the Four Provinces Ballroom on Harcourt St in Dublin to formally establish the National Farmers’ Association, which became the IFA in 1971.

Juan Greene from Co Kildare was elected the first president.

He and his successors have led farmers through seven decades of representation here and at European level since 1972, when the IFA opened a full-time office in Brussels.

“We must stay true to what our founders set out to achieve by representing farmers in every county and in every commodity with the common objective of giving them the very best representation,” added Gorman.