Farmers pledge to bolster any efforts to produce more food

The Irish Farmers’ Association were speaking before a meeting with Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.

The IFA delegation led by President Tim Cullinan (Finbarr O’Rourke/PA)

Farmers have pledged to play their role in any national efforts to produce more food.

Members of the Irish Farmers’ Association met with Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue on Tuesday evening.

They urged that the minister comes forward with “real proposals that will increase capacity, not just soundbites”.

The IFA was to present a number of proposals at the meeting.

They called for tackling of input costs – particularly fuel, fertiliser and feed.

IFI president Tim Cullinan said the department will also have to look at some of their own regulations which are restricting food production.

He said he would be looking for flexibility under Glas measures at this evening’s meeting, including the technical rules on wild bird cover and low input pasture.

“We also need to ensure that any farmer who decides to reduce their stock to grow more silage or crops is not impacted from a tax perspective,” he added.