Co-ordinated Response Needed to Support Farmers Through Weather Difficulties

Following a meeting of IFA’s National Council today, IFA President Francie Gorman said a co-ordinated response is needed to support farmers through the prolonged weather difficulties. He said the decision by the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to convene a meeting of the National Fodder and Food Security Committee this week is important to ensure […]

Extension on Soil Sampling Right Move, But More ACRES Flexibility Needed – IFA

IFA Rural Development chair John Curran has said the extension provided by the Department for uploading soil sample results/exemption forms to ACRES Tranche 1 participants to Dec 31st was a positive and practical move. “With all the rain in recent months, it was near impossible to get out and take suitable soil samples for analysis, […]

Weather Deepening Crisis at Farm Level – Tillage Farmers on the Brink

IFA President Francie Gorman said there is a deepening crisis on farms due to the ongoing wet weather. While all sectors are suffering, the tillage sector is at breaking point as farmers are not able to plant their crops.  “It is stated Government policy to increase the amount of tillage in the country, but instead […]

Farmers Need Support as Weather Conditions Persist

IFA Deputy President Alice Doyle said the ongoing weather conditions are placing farmers under serious pressure and adding to stress levels for families. “The level of rainfall has made it impossible to move livestock; planting and sowing is way behind; and bills are mounting as farmers struggle to keep on top of their work.” St […]

Deadline Extension for Hedgerows the Right Call – IFA

IFA Rural Development chair John Curran said the Dept decision to extend the deadline to plant hedgerows under ACRES until March 2025 is the right call. He said farmers have faced a number of obstacles to carrying out the work, including the lack of native supplies and very poor weather conditions. “It’s good to see […]

Huge Variation in Interest Rates Needs Explaining – IFA

IFA Farm Business Chair Bill O’Keeffe has highlighted the ongoing issue of the variations in interest rates between Irish lenders. “At the moment farmers who have loans with the likes of AIB and MilkFlex are incurring interest rates of up to 3% and more above what is available with other lenders. A 3% higher interest […]

IFA Mark International Women’s Day 2024

Marking International Women’s Day 2024, IFA Farm Family & Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche said that she wants to acknowledge the important contribution of women in agriculture.  “Despite the important role they play, women farmers contribution has traditionally been understated,” Teresa Roche said. “Today, on International Women’s Day I want to fully recognise their contribution […]

IFA Launch ‘No Dogs Allowed’ Campaign – Government and Local Authorities Failing to Address Issues

Launching IFA’s 2024 ‘No Dogs Allowed’ campaign, IFA President Francie Gorman said the Government and Local Authorities continue to ignore the deepening issue of dog attacks on livestock. He said IFA first launched the ‘No Dogs Allowed’ campaign in 2021 and despite continuous appeals for action, both the Government and Local Authorities have failed to address the issue. “The lack of […]

IFA Seeks Meeting with Road Safety Authority on Transport Rules

IFA President Francie Gorman said the Road Safety Authority has to clarify the rules around the transport of materials for construction work. Yesterday, the Road Safety Authority published the following on their website: “A Category W in Ireland should only be used for Agricultural or Forestry work, anyone driving Commercially e.g. Carrying stone/blocks etc for […]

Next Page »