ICSA president Sean McNamara has warned that the future of family farming in Ireland is under serious threat and called on Minister Heydon to take decisive action to protect farmers at ICSA's AGM and Annual Conference, held in Portlaoise on Thursday (13 Feb). The theme of this year's conference was "Survival, Sustainability, and Succession: Securing the Future of Family Farms," and featured special guest speaker Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon.

On the looming threats facing Irish agriculture, Mr McNamara insisted that the Government must take a firm stand on the Mercosur trade deal and called on Minister Heydon to demand an outright rejection of the agreement. "The Mercosur deal is a direct attack on Irish and European farmers. It is simply unacceptable to allow imports from countries with weaker environmental, food safety, and animal welfare standards to undermine Irish farmers and threaten their livelihoods. The EU cannot claim to champion sustainability while outsourcing deforestation and emissions to South America under this hypocritical deal," he said.

 Mr McNamara also raised concerns about the amended GAEC 2 regulations under the CAP Strategic Plan, stressing to the Minister that no farmer should be left worse off by these changes. "Up to 35,000 farmers could find themselves financially penalised and unable to use their land effectively. Restricting drainage will seriously limit land use, reducing both productivity and profitability, leaving many farmers in an impossible position."

 Mr McNamara said he wanted to see the office of the Agri-Food Regulator finally given the powers they need to deliver real transparency along the food chain. "Farmers need fair market prices and removing the smoke and mirrors surrounding who is making what off the backs of farmers is key to our survival."

 "Key also to our survival are schemes that work properly and actually financially benefit our low-income beef, sheep, suckler, and tillage farmers. Too many schemes are proving too unattractive to farmers, and this needs to change."

 On sustainability, Mr McNamara said the focus cannot be solely on the environment; it must also be about economic survival. "Farmers cannot be expected to carry the financial burden of policies that leave us worse off," he said. "The Nature Restoration Law, if implemented without common sense, will devastate farm incomes. Protecting nature must not mean destroying farmers' livelihoods." He sought guarantees from Minister Heydon that all measures under this law would remain voluntary and that farmers would be fully compensated for any restrictions imposed on their land.

 Mr McNamara also criticised the ICBF star rating system for suckler cattle, calling it a policy failure that is damaging farmers. "The system is doing a serious disservice to suckler farmers, devaluing some of the best cattle in the country while promoting traits that don't necessarily align with commercial reality. The genetic pool of the suckler herd has been decimated by the very bulls that farmers are being forced to use under SCEP, leading to a collapse in carcass weights." Mr McNamara asked Minister Heydon to commit to an urgent review of SCEP and the ICBF star ratings to safeguard the future of the suckler sector.

 Mr McNamara was also highly critical of the fact that over 15,000 farmers are still awaiting ACRES payments. "This is our flagship environmental scheme, yet its mismanagement has left a bad taste in farmers' mouths. Blaming IT issues is simply not good enough. Farmers have done the work, and they deserve to be paid on time."

 On succession and generational renewal, Mr McNamara said he is deeply concerned about the ageing farming population. "The clock is ticking. If we don't act now, we risk a future where too few young farmers are left to carry the torch. Our goal must be clear: we need at least 20% of farmers to be under 40 within the next ten years."

 He said, "For decades, the lack of a proper retirement or succession scheme has left older farmers with no real choice but to hold onto their farms. This is the biggest roadblock to generational renewal, and it needs an urgent solution." Mr McNamara reiterated ICSA's proposal for a dedicated Succession and Retirement Fund to deliver a Gradual Succession and Mentorship Scheme. Under this scheme, farmers over 55 who commit to succession would receive a minimum guaranteed annual income of €30,000 for ten years. "At the same time, successors must be given the financial backing they need to make a viable living. A smooth, supported transition between generations is the only way forward," he said.

 Concluding, Mr McNamara said, "Survival, sustainability, and succession are not just abstract policy discussions - they are the lived realities of every farmer in this room. We are the food producers on the front line, and we need policies that support, not strangle, family farms. We need fair trade, not unfair competition. We need sustainability that works for both the environment and our livelihoods. And we need to ensure the next generation sees a future in farming worth fighting for."

 He reaffirmed ICSA's commitment to working with Minister Heydon and his department officials to secure a viable future for Irish farmers but warned that members of ICSA "will not stand idly by while decisions are made that threaten their way of life."