IFA president Tim Cullinan has said that it is time for the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to assume greater responsibility and address the spiralling costs facing Irish farmers.

Cullinan said that the horticulture, potato, pig and poultry sectors are all already in “serious and immediate danger”, with more of the agri-food sectors in similar situations.

“Minister McConalogue must take charge of the situation,” he told representatives at an IFA national council meeting on Tuesday.

“We already have four farm sectors – horticulture, potatoes, pigs and poultry – which are in serious and immediate danger and others are facing huge uncertainty,” he said.

The IFA is due to go before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on agriculture on Wednesday to inform TDs and senators of the income crises borne by farmers in the pig, poultry and horticultural sectors.

‘Phenomenal’ costs

Cullinan told colleagues at the IFA meeting that increases in input costs must be spread across the agri-food supply chain.

Co-operation with Government would be needed to steer the sector through these cost hikes, he said.

All links in the supply chain need to share the burden and risk

“Most farms just don’t have the capacity to absorb these phenomenal input costs, and as weakest link in the supply chain, it can’t be left to the farmer to absorb them either. All links in the supply chain need to share the burden and risk,” explained the IFA head.

“The sector will need to work with the Government in the weeks and months ahead to deal with the situation as it develops,” he concluded.